100 ACIDALIA HOLOSERICEATA. 
while certain genera—Hnnomos and Acidalia, for 
example—furnish interesting studies in this stage, 
there are others in which the allied species cannot be 
safely distinguished in the ege. 
The eggs of A. holosericeata reached me on the 17th 
of July, 1867; the larve hatched on the 25th. They 
fed on the rock-rose, Helianthemum vulgare, and their 
habit was to congregate three or four together near 
the bottom of a shoot, strip 1t for some distance of its 
bark or skin, and then feed on the withered leaves at 
the tip of the shoot as 1t hung down ; but of course I 
cannot say whether in nature they are to be found 
singly orincompany. They ceased feeding during the 
winter, and were at all times very sluggish and quiet 
in their habits. ‘They moulted for the last time about 
the end of March, spun up during May, and the moths 
appeared June 20th to 29th, 1868. 
The ege of A. holosericeata is almost barrel-shaped, 
and perhaps more evenly flattened at the ends than 
any other of the Acidalie ; 1b 1s covered with a coarser 
reticulation than A. interjectaria, and in colour is de- 
cidedly yellow. 3 
The larva of A. holosericeata belongs to the shorter 
type of Acidalia, and is perhaps the plainest in dress 
of all this very plain family. When full-grown the 
length is a little over half an inch, in figure tapering 
considerably towards the head, which is small and 
notched, tucked under when at rest, thrown forward 
when in motion; skin most wonderfully wrinkled and 
warted, the warts being on the wrinkles, and so 
arranged that they form on the back a double ridge on 
each segment, which contracts to a single median 
ridge at each fold, and another more prominent ridge 
at the spiracles; the segmental divisions very de- 
cidedly cleft; bristles short and clubbed; the larva 
feels very stiff and firm; when disturbed it curls in 
the front segments in the same plane with the rest of 
the body, and not on one side, as the longer Acidalizx 
do. In colour it varies little throughout its growth, 
