PLUSIA BRAOTEA. 107 



luteum ; they were about thirteen millimetres long, and 

 much as before. 



In 1883 I had more eggs of Plusia bractea from 

 Mrs. Battersby, and they hatched early in August, 

 and the larvse were placed on a potted plant of 

 Lamium album, where they kept on the under-side of 

 the leaves, puncturing them with small holes, and 

 eventually a leaf or two had a dissected appearance. 

 Thus they kept out of sight, though their presence 

 was evidenced by larger and larger holes eaten through 

 the leaves. They began to moult the third time on 

 the 9th and 10th, the latest on the 14th, and were then 

 transferred to a fresh-potted plant of Lamium album. 

 (William Buckler, August, 1883; Note Book, IV, 

 151.) 



Plusia iota. 

 Plate Oil, ftg. 6. 



On the 6th of July, 1874, a few eggs (sixteen) of 

 Plusia iota were kindly sent me by Mrs. Hutchinson, of 

 Leominster. They were laid by a large worn captured 

 female, and two or three had already hatched. The eggs 

 were laid singly, adhering to the side of a chip box. 



The egg is hemispherical, flattened a little on the 

 centre of its base, numerously ribbed, the ribs 

 radiating from its upper centre, or rather conical apex. 

 At this time it is in colour very pale whity-brown, 

 scarcely to be distinguished from the chip on which 

 they were laid. Around the top of each egg were 

 three brown specks arranged in a triangle. After the 

 extrusion of the larva the shell is left a clear glisten- 

 ing white. 



Escaping from the egg by a hole through the side, 

 the larva is then of a brownish whitish gelatinous 

 appearance, or dirty whitish, with tubercular dots of 

 grey -brown; the head with a dark grey-brown mark 



