42 APLECTA OCCULTA. 



sloping down from the back, tapers a little towards 

 the end, which is rounded off. The general appear- 

 ance is plump and full, though the segmental divisions 

 are very well defined, and the two usual transverse 

 wrinkles towards the end of each segment can, in their 

 plumpest state, be generally seen. 



As regards colour, the head is usually brownish-grey, 

 streaked on the front margin of each lobe, and reticu- 

 lated at the sides, and freckled above the mouth, with 

 blackish or with dark grey; the ground-colour of the 

 body varies in individuals from a light mouse-colour 

 to the deepest greyish-brown ; on the second segment 

 is a semicircular smooth but dull plate of rich red- 

 dish-brown, edged with black in front, through which 

 run the beginnings of the usual lines, which are also 

 continued faintly through the similar brown-coloured 

 anal flap ; the dorsal fine line is in most cases pale 

 yellow, sometimes, at the very last stage, seen quite 

 uninterrupted, but often much obscured ; the yellow 

 subdorsal line, a trifle thicker, runs its course in a fes- 

 tooned manner, when visible, forming a series of 

 curves, the end of each curve bearing the hinder tuber- 

 cular yellow dot ; the dots, in threes on either side of 

 the back of each segment, are always visible, and some- 

 times dingy ochreous-yellow, but the subdorsal line 

 is sometimes absent ; within the subdorsal line on the 

 back of each segment, in front, is a more or less broad, 

 black, velvety, blunt wedge-shaped mark, and the 

 ground-colour between tnese marks often so thickly 

 covered with blackish coarse freckles as to give a 

 blackish appearance to the whole area of the back ; on 

 the side, as far as the spiracles, the ground-colour is 

 often quite as much obscured with black freckles, while 

 in some examples this part is freckled equally with 

 yellow and black ; bat it is always bounded below by 

 a velvety-black fusiform or triangular mark bearing 

 just within its lower edge the black spiracle, which, 

 though not readily seen, may often be observed to be 

 delicately margined with grey; immediately beneath 



