6790 



Insects. 



Additional Remarhs on the Larva of Eupithecia assimilata. — I feel that, injustice 

 to Mr. Gregson, I ought to make a few additional remarks on the larva of Eupithecia 

 assimilata. A few days after writing- my reply (Zool. 6735) to Mr. Gregson's critique 

 (Zool. 6695) on my description of this larva (Zool. 6579), I found, upon examining 

 the larva which I had lately taken, that a few of the smaller ones had moulied and 

 assumed some dorsal dusky lozenge-shaped spots, and I subsequently met with others 

 upon the black-currant trees in the garden. About the same time I happened to pay 

 Mr. Greene a visit, and found that he had also met with this variety; and a few days 

 afterwards Mr. Gregson was kind enough to send me four or five of his dorsally-blotched 

 larva 1 , which precisely corresponded with those I had taken. It is quite clear, there- 

 fore, that a dorsally-marked larva does occur, but my observations lead me to feel sure 

 that this is rather the exception to the rule than otherwise. Last autumn I took 

 nearly fifty larvae. Not a single one had any dorsal lozenge-shaped spots at all, and 

 only about half a dozen had a few small black dorsal specks, about the size of a pin's 

 point. This autumn one of my brothers and myself, by diligent searching, took about 

 two hundred larva? off black currant and wild hops (upon which they feed equally 

 freely), and out of this number about thirty were dorsally blotched. Neither 

 Mr. Doubleday nor Mr. Bond had ever seen this variety till I showed and gave them 

 specimens. I leave the readers of the ' Zoologist' to draw what inference they please 

 from these facts. The conclusion at which I have arrived is this : that, though a 

 dorsally-blotched variety most undoubtedly occurs, yet that this is rather an exception 

 to the rule than otherwise, aud that the plain green larva is the typical form. — Id. ; 

 November 8, 1859. 



Description of the Dorsally blotched Larva of Eupithecia assimilata. — Till the last 

 moult uniform pale green ; afterwards with a chain of rusty brown dorsal spots 

 running from tip to tail, and intersected and united by a central dorsal line: ground- 

 colour dirty yellowish green. The dorsal spots confluent on the anterior and posterior 

 segments; bordered on either side by a dus-ky line. Sides suffused with dusky 

 reddish brown, and streaked with waved lines of the same colour. Belly greenish. 

 Body covered with small white tubercles and studded with a few short white hairs. 

 Segmental divisions orange. Head greenish, marked with black. Fee s on black 

 currant and wild hops in September and October. — Id. 



Reply to Mr. Crewes Note on the Larva of Eupithecia assimilata. — Mr Crewe 

 writes (Zool, 6735) to prove that I am in error in saying there are dorsally lozenge- 

 marked larva? of Eupithecia assimilata, and, it would seem, proves to his own 

 satisfaction there are no such things, at least in his own neighbourhood. I have had 

 the pleasure of sending him specimens of such dorsally-marked larvae, and of course 

 expected he would set me right with the readers of the 4 Zoologist,' but in his reply to 

 my letter and box containing the said dorsally-marked larva?, he says, "Your doisal- 

 marked larva? were not a surprise, for a few days after Mr. Greene and myself had 

 written to the ' Zoologist' I found a few of the dorsally-blotched larva?, and upon going 

 over to spend a day with him at Cubley I found he had done the same. We both 

 agreed to keep them separate until the perfect insect appeared, and then, in justice to 

 you, to publish our experience in the 'Zoologist.'" Thus, it would seem, though he 

 has both seen such lozenge dorsal-marked larva? from ine and absolutely found such 

 in his own neighbourhood,— where I knew them to occur, having taken them at 

 Ashburn, at Mayfield (in the late Tom Moore's garden), and at Burton-ou-Trent, on 

 the Ashby-de-la-Zouch side of the river, all of which places, I take it, are in his 



