STERRHA SACRARIA. 113 



segments further. Colour a pale yellowish-olive, 

 head and wing-cases pale olive-green, finely outlined 

 with black ; the segmental folds and dots along the 

 side of the abdomen are dark also ; the tip of tbe 

 anal segment and the short blunt spike horny and 

 brown. 



Enclosed in an open fine network of dirty yellow 

 silk, either between the stems of the food-plant or 

 against the sides or cover of the casre. 



The food chosen was Polygonum aviculare, and the 

 rate of growth plainly shows that it was eaten freely ; 

 no doubt there are other plants equally acceptable, 

 and Herr Carl Plotz, in one of his beautiful drawings, 

 had figured this larva on a species of chamomile. 



At the end of a fortnight the pupae began to become 

 more suffused all over with a pale brownish tint, and 

 on the 15th of October I noticed one which had 

 changed to a smoky-black, the edges of the wing-cases 

 showing a rich red stripe, and in the evening the moth 

 emerged ; since then two more have made their ap- 

 pearance [October 18th], and by the end of this week 

 I expect the other three will have followed their ex- 

 ample. 



The fore-wings are variable in tint — always very 

 delicate and pretty ; and I notice that the moth likes 

 to rest with its wings roofed together at a very acute 

 angle, after the manner of Gilix spinula.* (John 

 Hellins, October 4th and 18th, 1865; E.M.M., 

 November, 1865,' II, 134, 135 ; and Erratum at 

 p. 166.) 



I regret to say that I have not succeeded at 

 all satisfactorily in my attempt at rearing Sterrha 

 sacraria ; and I am the more sorry as I am not able 

 fully to account for the causes of my failure. I took 

 in all six perfect insects in August — two females and 

 four males, and I obtained twenty-six ova. Eight of 



* The moths were described in the * Transactions of the Entomolo- 

 gical Society of London,' 3rd series, vol. ii, pp. 45 i, 455, plate xxiii, 

 R. McLachlan. 



VOL. VIII. 8 



