THERA FIRM ARIA. 63 



Thera FIRMARIA. 

 Plate CXXXVIII, fig. 4. 



The larva of Thera firmata is the same length as 

 that of Th. simulata {conifer ata) ; the anal segment is 

 decidedly forked ; the head slightly bent under, red, 

 with a brown streak over each lobe. Ground colour 

 dark bluish-green ; dorsal line of a much darker tint 

 of the same ; the subdorsal whitish, fine and uniform 

 in width, quite white on the second segment ; below 

 the spiracles is a fine whitish line, tinged with yellow 

 on the hinder segments ; the belly green, with three 

 equidistant pale lines. (John Hellins, 23rd January, 

 1867 ; E.M.M., May, 1867, III, 278.) 



Ypsipetes ruberaria. 

 Plate CXXXVIII, fig. 5. 



On the 9th of June, 1888, I took a female of 

 Ypsipetes ruberaria, w r hich I put in an inverted bell- 

 glass containing a sprig of sallow in water, and 

 covered with leno. In the course of two or three 

 days it had laid on the upper side of the leno, by pro- 

 truding its ovipositor through the holes, about ninety 

 eggs. In the case of a female taken last May the eggs 

 were chiefly laid on the central stalk of a female sallow 

 catkin, which would seem to be the natural laying- 

 place of this species, as it was also utilised by a female 

 which my friend Mr. H. W. Vivian bred from some 

 pupae I gave him in 1889. 



The egg is oval in shape, generally a little broader 

 at one end than the other. The top and bottom are 

 rather flattened, so that the height of the egg is nearly 

 the same all over, except close to the sides, which are 

 consequently rather straight. The whole surface is 



