CRAMBUS CULMELLUS. 293 



hatch on the 28th, when the larvae were transferred 

 to a large pot planted with Festuca duriuscula, and 

 having a margin of moss inside. 



On the 4th of October I observed several of their 

 little tubular galleries, open at the top, as they were 

 spun in an upright position amongst the grass, with 

 a few withered grass particles adhering ; and by the 

 16th many more could be seen, more or less connected 

 with each other and the grass by a number of fine silk 

 threads. 



The grass was vigorous enough to withstand their 

 early attacks, and flourished well during the ensuing 

 winter while the larvae were quiescent, until a warm 

 and sunny day — the 6th of March, 1880 — waked them 

 from their torpor, when they became very busy amongst 

 both grass and moss, in extending the old residences 

 and constructing others, uniting the moss-covered 

 galleries to the grass-blades near with a great number 

 of fine threads, and in the same way they secured the 

 moss to the side of the pot. 



By degrees the combined attack began to check 

 the growth of the grass, which presented a melan- 

 choly spectacle as June approached, when a fresh pot 

 was provided, barely in time, as I found the greater 

 number of larvae had escaped, though a couple had 

 been picked up while deserting their old quarters, 

 just in time to warn me of their exodus ; but enough 

 for my purpose were put in the fresh grass to produce 

 six examples of the moth, which appeared from the 

 19th of July to the 1st of August. 



The egg in shape is elliptical, having an elongate 

 depression on part of its surface, and it is very closely 

 ribbed and finely reticulated ; when first laid it is of 

 a whitish straw tint, changing in two days to flesh- 

 colour, again onwards to salmon colour, and then to 

 deep pink, when it begins to hatch. 



The young larva at first is of a pinkish-salmon 

 colour, with darkish brown glossy head and plate, the 

 body without gloss, and a pale brown anal plate. 



