204 Forty-second Report on the State Museum. [62] 



verse markings on the obscure annulets; the dorsal black patch on 

 the eleventh segment; an interrupted subdorsal black line consisting 

 of a black streak on the posterior half of each segment; the stig- 

 matal line of black crescents and the substigmatal line of a yellowish, 

 approaching orange, color. The spiracles are small and black. One 

 of the paler colored larvae is represented at a in Figure 17. 



At maturity. — By the thirtieth of May, many of the larvae had ceased 

 feeding and had evidently matured. The following day they were 

 transferred to a box of earth upon which a layer of plantain leaves 

 had been placed. When examination was next made on the third of 

 June, a little feeding had been done. Four-fifths of the larvae were 

 found above ground, and the rest had buried themselves at different 

 depths — some just beneath the surface, showing a slight contraction 

 in length, indicating progress toward pupation. A few that had been 

 transferred to a separate box with food, were still feeding on June 

 fourth. 



The Pupa. — On the fifth of June, three newly-disclosed pupae were 

 found beneath leaves on the surface of the ground — at first of a 

 dull pale yellowish color, but later becoming mahogany-brown. The 

 anterior segments following the rounded head-parts are cylindrical 

 for the extent of the wing-covers, while the remaining six free 

 segments rapidly diminish in size to »the anal tip, which is armed with 

 a single short, black, curved spine. The anterior margin of the 

 segments is brown and closely punctated. Length, 0.7 inch ; 

 greatest breadth, 0.2 inch. 



The Moth. — The first moths — eight in number — emerged from 

 their pupae on the twenty-fourth of June, and on the following day 

 eighteen others made their appearance. The duration of their pupal 



their legs, they could be lifted from the ground upon which they rested 



Fig. 17.— Agrotis saucia — a, larva; b and c, 

 head and a middle joint of the same enlarged ; 

 d, the moth. 



stage would thence have been 

 twenty days, and their larval 

 stage twenty-eight days. The 

 last of the moths, 150 in all, 

 were given out on J une thirtieth. 

 The species proved to be very 

 easy to rear, unlike most of the 

 cut-worms — hardly any fatality 

 attending any of the several 

 transformations. The moths 

 displayed a remarkable absence 

 of timidity on being disturbed. 

 With hardly any motion beyond 

 the necessary readjustment of 



