100 SMERINTHUS OCELLATUS. 



In 1886 Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher sent me eggs June 

 19th; the larvae hatched June 25th — 29th; the earlier 

 ones moulted about June 30th, July 7th, 14th, 20th, 

 but did not complete their growth, sickening and dying 

 early in August. On August 10th Mr. G. F. Mathew 

 sent me two full-grown larvse from Harwich. Sep- 

 tember 6th, Mr. H. Morgan, of Exeter, gave me a very 

 large larva from his apple-tree. 



Thus we have the moth in May, June, and July ; 

 the larva stage lasting some six weeks in June, July, 

 August, or September, and the pupa stage extending 

 through autumn, winter, and spring. 



Mr. Fletcher carefully dated the eggs he sent 

 according to the days on which the parent moth had 

 deposited them, so I was able to trace the diminution 

 of size between the earlier and later ones. The egg is 

 of a plump oval form, not so deep as wide, the upper 

 surface somewhat sunken in the middle, the shell 

 shining, covered with a very slight reticulation, the 

 colour a light tender yellow-green. The eggs of the first 

 and second days' laying were from 1*8 mm to 1*9 mm. 

 long, and about 1*4 mm. wide; those of the fifth day 

 were 1*6 mm. long and 1*2 mm. wide ; and those of the 

 sixth day 145 mm. long and 1*15 mm. wide ; but these 

 last shrivelled up, and did not produce any larvae. Three 

 or four days before hatching the young larva can be 

 seen curled up, and its colour is not so green as the 

 rest of the egg outside it, and before long its red 

 horn becomes conspicuous. 



The young larva from the early laying of eggs is all 

 but 5 mm. long, with a straight horn 1*4 mm. long. 

 The larva from the later egg is just 4 mm., and its horn 

 1*25 mm.; the whole skin is covered with very fine 

 two-pronged hairs, the usual dots emitting similar ones 

 of stouter make ; the horn is covered with tiny two- 

 pronged spines, and has two sharp strong spines at 

 the tip ; the general colour is pale, somewhat yellowish- 

 green, the back rather fuller in tint, the horn dull 

 pink ; the ventral feet increase gradually in size from 



