202 Forty- second Report on the State Museum. [60] 



have found none on old or bearing trees. I found the eggs in 

 batches, on twigs, in narrow strips from one inch to three inches 

 long, and about three-sixteenths of an inch broad; on branches, in 

 broader strips from one inch to two and one-half inches long and 

 from one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch broad; on the bodies of 

 trees, usually about in this shape and size,* and the eggs as close 

 together as possible. I destroyed every nest that I could find, but 

 concluded last Sunday to leave two nests in a little tree to see what 

 they would do after being hatched. On Monday one-half of the 

 cluster had changed from a light tan to a slate color, and yesterday 

 evening that portion had hatched, and a number of little caterpillars, 

 about one-eighth of an inch long, were wriggling about, but were 

 gradually being carried away by the wind. 



Larval Transformations and Habits. 



First stage. — Some of the eggs had hatched when received from 

 Mr. Barry, and the caterpillars presented the following appearance : 



The head was black, the body green with indistinct lines, and 

 a few scattered hairs. They had but three pairs of prolegs, and 

 consequently looped in walking, after the manner of the Oeometridce. 

 In dropping from the twig, they hung suspended by a thread that 

 they gave forth. When disturbed they would often twist the head 

 and several segments over the back, holding to the surface upon 

 which they rested by the last two pairs of prolegs. 



Grass was offered them of w r hich they readily ate and with apparent 

 relish. Some tips of apple twigs being given them, a few fed spar- 

 ingly thereon, eating small holes into one surface of the unfold- 

 ing leaves, but much the larger portion continued their feeding upon 

 the grass. 



Second stage. — Upon the fourteenth of May some of the caterpillars 

 were observed to have undergone their first molting, and to have 

 acquired in the operation an additional pair of prolegs. They were 

 cylindrical, of a length of 0.2 inch, the head somewhat cordate with 

 black setiferous spots; body with a pale dorsal line, two similar 

 lateral ones, and a broad stigmatal stripe; the anterior pair of 

 trapezoidal spots are black, elevated, and bear, as do the other setifer- 

 ous spots, a stout black hair. The hinder part of the body slopes 

 downward to the anal prolegs. There are now four pairs of prolegs. 



Third stage. — Several of the larvae had undergone their second 

 molting on the morning of May eighteenth. They had now five pairs 

 of prolegs (the normal number belonging to the Noctuidce), and 

 presented the following features: 



Head dull yellowish, pale on the side, mottled, with two broad 

 fuscous lines in front running from the summit of the head to the 



* Keferring to a rectangular figure given of about one inch by three-fourths, not con- 

 tinuously straight-lined on one of its longer sides. 



