i8 93 ] THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



was accidentally brought in with some Convolvulus I had gathered for 

 a brood of larvae of P. pentadactyla. By the middle of August it was 

 full-grown, when I described it as follows : — Length, when at rest, 

 about five-eighths of an inch, and stout in proportion. Head, polished 

 and rather small, narrower than the second segment. Body, uniform 

 and cylindrical, tapering a little posteriorly. Segmental divisions, 

 well-defined and deeply cut ventrally ; each tubercle emits a tuft of 

 short but rather strong hairs. Ground colour, bright yellowish-green, 

 more decidedly green on the back ; head, pale yellow ; the mandibles 

 light brown. A fine but clear yellowish-white line forms the dorsal 

 stripe ; there is a much broader stripe of the same colour along the 

 spiracular region, and the space between it and the spiracles is 

 speckled with streaks and spots of the same colour. Spiracles black, 

 hairs greyish. Ventral surface, legs and pro-legs uniformly pale 

 green" (" Entomologist," Vol. XV., pp. 90-91). Of a rather strange 

 fact related with the habits of this species, Mr. Porritt writes : — " In 

 the first place the larva of Pteropkorus monodactylus is supposed, so far 

 as I know, to be solely a Convolvulus feeder ; but here, though it is 

 common enough, I can only find it among ling [Calluna vulgaris) or 

 bilberry. It occurs freely in September on the high bleak exposed 

 moors, always about ling or bilberry (but where Convolvulus certainly 

 does not grow), and there is no doubt it feeds on either or both of 

 these plants. I have sometimes tried to make another species out of 

 it ; and as there were, and I suppose still are, two specimens without 

 a label, at the foot of the series of monodactylus in the Doubleday 

 collection at Bethnal Green, of one of our moorland forms, it is 

 evident the late Henry Doubleday was a little doubtful about them. 

 As, however, the variety occurs with all ordinary well-known forms 

 the species, they are clearly only monodactylus " (Entomologist's 

 Monthly Magazine," Vol. XXI., p. 208). Referring to the species, 

 Mr. South writes : — " Mr. C. G. Bignell, of Stonehouse, was kind 

 enough to send me larvae of this species on June 17th this year. Some 

 of them were nearly full-grown, others quite small. He found them 

 in a garden feeding on the small garden convolvulus {Convolvulus 

 minor). When the supply of food sent with them was exhausted, 

 shoots of the large convolvulus (Convolvulus major) were given them, 

 which they took to readily, as also they did afterwards to the sma>ll 

 bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). The larvae pupated between July 

 26th and July 5th, and the moths appeared between the 6th and 30th 

 of July." He further adds : — " In the autumn of 1876 I observed 

 P. monodactylus flying at dusk in some numbers around and about a 

 clump of large bindweed (Convolvulus sepium). An examination of 

 the plant next day resulted in the finding of several pupae and larvae" 

 (" Entomologist," Vol. XVIII., p. 278). 



