i8 93 j THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 95 



and beyond it a pale brownish blotch on the costa " (" Manual,' Vol. 

 II., p. 443)- Of the perfect insect, Mr. Gregson writes : — " It has the 

 head, body and upper-wings sulphur-yellow, in fine specimens slightly 

 darker on the costa, and having a darkish elongated patch beyond the 

 middle ; the under-wings darkish ash-coloured, abdomen and legs light 

 sulphur-yellow. Expansion of the wings from eight to ten lines " 

 (" Entomologist," Vol. III., p. 202). Zeller's diagnosis of this species 

 is as follows: — "Collari epistomisque brunnescentibus, corpore alisque 

 anterioribus dilutissime sulphureis, his puncto ad fissuram fusco, 

 litura costali laciniae anterioris fuscescente (<$$)" (" Linn. Ent. " etc., 

 p. 388). 



Larva — The larva of this species hatches in the autumn and feeds 

 on the flowers and seed-heads of Solidago virgmtrea, it then hybernates 

 and does not appear to do any more feeding up before pupation in the 

 spring. It is of a pale brownish colour with darker brown longitudinal 

 stripes. Mr. Gregson first described the larva of this species. He 

 writes : — " Larva delicate pale brown, with five darker longitudinal 

 stripes ; rather stout in the middle, but attenuated at both ends. It 

 feeds upon the flowers and seeds of Solidago virgaurea (golden rod) living 

 through the winter, and spinning up in the spring, appearing in the 

 perfect state in July and August " (" Entomologist," III., pp. 201-202). 

 Mr. Hellins then wrote : — " For years past, ever since I learned 

 that larvae could be beaten from various wild flowers, and that the 

 golden-rod was good for certain Eupithecice , I had been puzzled with 

 a little fusiform, brown-striped larva, which 91 ! often found on it, but 

 could never rear to the perfect insect, as it always died in winter. 

 I remember at one time sending specimens to some five or six 

 entomologists (not beginners like myself) by whom it was referred to 

 as many different genera and families, not of Lepidoptera only, but 

 also of one or two other orders, much of course to my satisfaction. 

 However, on reading in a recent number of the " Entomologist " this 

 year, a note by Mr. Gregson on osteodactylus, I saw at once that he had 

 solved my puzzle, and since then I have confirmed his observations 

 by myself breeding, quite unexpectedly, three specimens of the moth, 

 one on July 8th, one on August 26th, and the third I found dead, not 

 having noticed when it came out. I remember that last year two or 

 three of these larvae were on some golden-rod flowers, which I had 

 picked for another species, but I took no care of them, expecting that, 

 as usual they would dry up in the winter. The only difference in 

 their treatment was this, that they were left to take their chance 

 (mostly out-doors in a shady corner of my garden), with their withered 

 food in a flower-pot, the earth in which was covered with a thick 

 growth of moss (Hypnam sevceum). I noticed that two of them after- 

 walking about for a time on the covering of the pot, at last settled 



