Insects. 



8783 



linger than these on the preceding segments; on the fith and 7th segments, in the 

 same position, are two dorsal and two lateral warts, all much larger: the same number 

 and arrangement of warts obtains on the 8th, 9th, 10th and llth segments, but all 

 these are small as on the 5th segment: on all these segments, that is from the 5th to 

 the llth inclusive, there is a minute wart in advance of each principal wart ; on the 

 12th segment are two transversely placed and rather prominent dorsal warts, and two 

 minute warts behind them : every wart terminates in a bristle. Head slightly hairy, 

 opaque brown, with two paler, transverse, waved markings across the face: body some- 

 times yellow-green, but generally brown, with the warts black and a few yellow 

 markings, viz., on the 2nd segment a transverse mark immediately behind the head ; 

 on the back of the 3rd and 4th segments two approximate stripe-like markings, and 

 an amorphous mark in the region of each lateral wart. It descends to the ground, 

 and changes to a smooth pupa just below the surface of the earth, daring the first 

 week in June, and the perfect insect appears in January or February following. I 

 am indebted to Mr. Wright for specimens of both varieties of the larva. — E. Neivman. 



Description of the Larva of Geometra papilionaria. — The eggs are laid in the 

 autumn, on Betula alba (birch), on the leaves of which the larva feeds ; the young 

 larvae emerge in two or three weeks, according to the temperature, and feed for a short 

 time only, hybernating when very small : in early spring they again begin to feed, and 

 are full-fed towards the end of May. The full-grown larva rests in a bent posture, 

 the legs as well as the claspers holding the food-plant ; the head is prone, and brought 

 into contact with the legs ; it is very slightly notched on the crown. The body is 

 obese, rough as though covered with shagreen, humped on the back, and dilated on 

 the sides below the spiracles ;. the 2nd segment has a dilated anterior margin projecting 

 slightly over the head, and two small dorsal humps placed transversely ; 3rd segment 

 with one large dorsal hump on its anterior margin ; 4th and 5th segments without 

 excrescences ; 6th with two small wart-like humps placed transversely near its ante- 

 rior margin ; 7th with two large and closely approximate humps on its anterior mar- 

 gin ; 8th and 9th each with two smaller and more distant humps on their anterior 

 margiu ; 10th and llth without excrescences; 12th with a median, dorsal, double 

 excrescence, not very prominent. Head pale dingy green, with two brown markings 

 on the face : body apple-green, the summits of the humps tinted with red ; there is a 

 rather broad, median, dorsal stripe of red-brown on the llth, 12th and 13th segments; 

 there is a narrow stripe on each side, inclining to yellow below the spiracles; and 

 there are two red-brown markings on the ventral surface of the llth, 12th and 13th 

 segments, continued into the anal claspers ; legs and anterior pair of claspers dingy 

 apple-green. In June it spins together some of the leaves of its food-plant, forming a 

 thin whitish cocoon, in which it changes to a green pupa, having brownish wing-cases, 

 and a reddish blotch on the back of the same segments which have the red-brown 

 stripe in the larva. The perfect insect appears about Midsummer. I am indebted to 

 Mr. Thomas Huckctt for this larva. — Id. 



Description of the Larva of Venusia cambricaria. — The eggs were laid (in confine- 

 ment) on the 17th of July, and the young larva? emerged on the 27th ; on being offered 

 the leaves of several trees they selected those of Pyrus aucuparia (mountain ash or 

 rowan tree), which abounds in the locality where the moths are taken, and the trunks 

 of which are a favourite resting-place of the moth by day. Larva full-fed on the 20th 

 of August ; it then rests in a perfectly straight position, with its head porrected : head 

 rather narrower than the body : body of nearly uniform width throughout its length, 



