20 DASYPOLIA TEMPLI. 



observations of myself and my friends, may not be 

 uninteresting. 



In the latter part of the year 1865, Mr. H. 

 Doubleday obtained living impregnated female moths 

 from Mr. Varley, of Huddersfield, and succeeded in 

 keeping them alive through the winter; one even 

 survived a journey to M. Guenee, and, as well as the 

 two retained by Mr. Doubleday, deposited eggs about 

 March 20th, 1866, which he distributed to his friends, 

 Mr. Hellins and myself amongst them. They were 

 laid on the under-sides of some leaves of Heracleum 

 sfthondylium (then grown out to a foot in length), which 

 were put in a box to induce them to commence laying. 

 Perhaps in a state of nature, when the Heracleum 

 leaves are backward, the females may deposit on the 

 dry stems of last year's plants. 



The egg is not so flat as the usual Noctua shape, but 

 stands up rather higher, is ribbed, at first yellowish in 

 colour, afterwards turning flesh- colour, with a pinkish- 

 brown spot on the top, and a ring rather above the 

 middle ; finally turning blackish a day or two before 

 the hatching of the larva. 



The larvae appeared about April 20th ; at first they 

 were of a dingy olive colour, with black heads, rather 

 longish-looking in shape. 



Mr. Jeffrey having made the entomological world 

 acquainted with the food, we had all provided some 

 Heracleum plants ready at hand in our gardens, and 

 put out on them the larvae immediately upon their 

 appearance ; nor had we to wait long in suspense as 

 to their powers of eating. Some began by attacking 

 the leaf itself and afterwards the stem ; others made 

 at once for the stem, and commenced eating their way 

 into the interior, and drinking the sap which flowed 

 into their little tunnels ; from this point their habits 

 as internal feeders made it difficult to watch their 

 growth, but the following observations were made. 



It seemed that on reaching the centre of the stem 

 they proceeded downwards, at first giving no sign of 



