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Note on the larvce of HeUophohus popularis, Cha/rceas gra/tmrnSf and Luperina 

 cespitis. — Through the kindness of correspondents, I have been supplied in diflferent 

 years with the eggs of all these three species, and have reared the larvae from 

 them to full growth : and as I became acquainted with one species after another, I 

 could not help being struck with the great similarity of appearance presented by 

 all three when full grown. 



In fact, from not being at the first prepared for this similarity among them, I 

 found it necessary to rear each species a second time in order to make sure of the 

 distinctive markings of each ; but this having been done, and several figures 

 having been carefully delineated, I feel I can now offer a few remarks, which may 

 be of use in helping others to separate them. 



The early history of each is similar; the straw-coloured eggs are laid in 

 autumn, and undergo one or two changes of colour — the last not long before the 

 larvse are hatched — some time in spring, the exact date varying according to the 

 character of the season. 



They all feed on grass — shovsdng no decided preference, beyond that of choosing 

 the smooth and hard grasses rather than hairy and woolly species ; they feed up in 

 summer, retire underground, and make neat oval chambers for their retreat during 

 pupation, — and the moths appear at the latter end of summer or beginning of 

 autumn. 



When young, the larv39 all show a greenish hue, with whitish lines, — graminis 

 and popularis being of a paler — more olive tint, while cespitis is of a bright clear 

 full green, with the lines also of a purer white than in the other species. 



I have noticed that popularis, when about half-grown, shows a very beautiful 

 opalescent pinkish gleam of colouring about the ventral legs and belly itself which 

 I have not observed in the other two. By degrees, in all of them, the green 

 becomes dai-kened with brown, and a metallic or bronzy lustre makes its appear- 

 ance, until at last the full dress is assumed, which I now proceed to describe. 



In shape all are similar; the head is full and rounded, the body stout and 

 cylindrical, thickest in the middle, and tapering towards each extremity ; when 

 disturbed they do not curl up, but bend their head and tail together on one side. 



But in size, as might be expected from the moths, they differ : thus popula/ris, 

 when full grown, measures full If inch in length j cespitis 1\, and graminis li, — 

 and their bulk is in proportion to their length. 



Next as to colour and ornamentation j all three are much alike in hue, and all 

 have five conspicuous stripes arranged as dorsal, sub-dorsal, and sub -spirac alar. 

 The colour of the head is brown ; and that of the back, as far as the spiracles, is 

 a deep brown-greenish or smoky brown, bronzy and very shining j a black (or, at 

 least, dai'ker than the ground colour) semi-circular plate on the second segment, on 

 which commence the dorsal and sub-dorsal stripes, in colour pale pinkish-grey, 

 greyish-ochreous, or pale brownish, widening a Httle in the stoutest part of the 

 body, and gradually narrowing again, till they converge and meet at the tip of the 

 anal flap, which is covered with another black plate ; these stripes are edged with 

 black, and freckled with grey or brown along their middle. The spiracles are black, 

 and immediately beneath them comes the sub-spiracular pale stripe, edged and 

 freckled like those already described. 



The legs and prologs are greyish-green or brown, the latter ringed with darker 



