CERURA VINULA. 145 



of the back from that of the lower parts, much as Mr. 

 Buckler's smaller figure shows it, only that figure is en- 

 larged, for the larva is not more than 7 mm. long at its 

 first moult. Immediately after this moult the back is 

 blackish-brown, and the lower parts claret coloured, 

 with a yellowish lateral streak on 3 — 5 and 10 — 12, 

 which is in fact the commencement of the future general 

 green colouring ; before the second moult the sides have 

 become rich yellow, with purplish-brown streaks. The 

 second moult comes when the larva is 9 or 10 mm. 

 long, and immediately after, the back is rich velvety 

 brown, and the sides bright yellow, with only a spira- 

 cular stripe of reddish, the horns still long and set 

 with rough points, the tails 5*5 mm. long ; with 

 further growth the brown of the back becomes lighter. 

 The third moult comes when the larva is 15 mm. long ; 

 this moult brings the tails to the length of 8 mm. ; the 

 horns are still prominent and set with points ; the 

 brown dorsal saddle now shows some yellow freckling, 

 and is bordered by a brown line and an outer yellow 

 line, and the saddle-flap on 8 goes below the spiracle. 

 The rest of the body is now rich green, the spiracles 

 black, with yellow centres ; after this there are two 

 moults more (in all five moults, at intervals of five or 

 six days), but I have not all the details of the fourth. 

 The fifth comes when the larva is rather less than 

 30 mm. in length, and leaves it at first perhaps as 

 quaint in appearance as at any time of its life, its head 

 and tails being full-sized, while the body has not yet 

 its due proportions; the horns are gone, and their 

 places marked by dark velvet spots. Dr. Chapman 

 watched a moult more than once, and gives some 

 interesting observations ; the larva creeps out from 

 the opening in front of the old skin, but for the hinder 

 segments and tails it clears them from the old skin by 

 raising them, and then dragging out the tails, and just 

 as the tails are free the whips can be seen completing 

 their moult also, and retiring into the tails. The 

 dragging out of the tails seems to pull the whips to 

 vol. it. 10 



