48 EUPITHECIA TOGATA. 



EUPJTHECIA TOGATA. 



Plate CXXXVI, fig. 1. 



On the 5th July, 1871, I received from Mr. A. 

 H. Jones five eggs of this species, which had been 

 given him by a friend who had taken the moth in 

 Scotland. 



The larvse hatched on the 9th, and, as I understood 

 the moths were beaten from the spruce fir, I supplied 

 them with twigs of spruce, as well as some knotgrass 

 and a few flowers, such as those of ragwort and 

 golden-rod. Two or three of the larvse nibbled a little 

 at the flowers and knotgrass, but soon dwindled and 

 died. The other two attacked the spruce, burrowing 

 into the buds which studded the ends and sides of the 

 young shoots, but unfortunately, in my attempt to 

 watch their proceedings, I injured them, so that they 

 both died. 



However, early in July of the present year (1872) 

 Dr. F. Buchanan White, by dint of hard work, 

 obtained some eggs, some of which he kindly sent to 

 Mr. Buckler, from whom they passed into my hands. 

 Eight eggs reached me safely, and the larvae hatched 

 on the 18th of July. Being now sure of the proper 

 food, I gave them no choice, putting in only bits cut 

 off from spruce shoots which were furnished with 

 buds. As before, three of the larvae failed to find 

 out their food in time, and were starved ; the other 

 five fed away at once, but instead of attacking the 

 buds, commenced operations by tunnelling into the 

 inner baric or liber at the cut ends of the shoots ; they 

 never touched the outer bark or the needle-like leaves, 

 but ate their way onwards — in some cases for an inch 

 or more — through the liber, until they reached a bud, 

 into which they then burrowed. They ate rapidly, 

 and their frass accumulated in proportion, some of it 

 being extruded at the mouth of their tunnels, but 



