20 BOARMIA ABIETARIA. 
BoARMIA ABIETARIA. 
Plate CXII, fig. 1. 
I figured the larva of this species as long ago as 
1868, but none the less do I feel indebted to the Rev. 
Bernard Smith for kindly sending me eggs in July, 
1876, and thus giving me the opportunity to become 
more thoroughly acquainted with all its changes. 
The food which is generally given for the larva is 
fir; the examples [ had in 1863 chose birch in pre- 
ference to fir; Mr. Dorville, I remember, found a 
larva once on whortleberry, which he reared to ma- 
turity on the same plant; but from Mr. Machin I 
learnt that though he had formerly taken the larva 
very sparingly on oak, beech, pine, and spruce fir, it 
was not until many years afterwards that he dis- 
covered the larva to be quite common on yew (Tawus 
baccata), and from subsequent experience was con- 
vineed that this tree was the favourite and proper 
food. For enlightenment on this important point | 
am greatly indebted to Mrs. Hutchinson, who, in 
June, 1876, most kindly presented me with three fine 
full-grown larvee which she had reared on yew, and I 
used this food most successfully to rear the larve 
from the eggs which Mr. Smith gave me. 
These eggs were laid on July 30th, by a female. 
moth confined in a coarse muslin sleeve over a 
branch of yew; however, in part she disregarded the 
branch, and extruded the eggs through the interstices 
to the outside of the muslin, where they adhered. 
The larve hatched August 12th and 13th, and fed 
away well; when, however, it became necessary to 
change their food, their complete assimilation to the 
colour of the under side of the leaves caused me 
from time to time to overlook one or two, and thus 
my stock, at first numbering twenty-seven, was re- 
duced to twelve by the end of the year. 
Their time of hibernation began about the middle 
