70 



THE YOUNG 



NATUEALIST. 



by the former, but among the Bombycina 

 by Mr. Doubleday. They are small white 

 insects with darker markings. They expand 

 less than one inch, and when at rest assume 

 very much the appearance of a Deltoid, the 

 wings forming a long narrow triangle. The 

 larvae have fourteen legs, are short, rather 

 thick, and sparingly clothed with longish 

 hairs. They spin a boat-shaped cocoon in 

 which to change. The Litiiosid^ are 

 white, cream-coloured, or yellow, only one 

 being rosy. They are nearly devoid of 

 markings. Most of them have long, narrow 

 forewings, which in repose are folded round 

 the body like the wings of a Cvambiis. The 

 larvae are hairy, have sixteen legs, and feed 

 on lichens on trees, walls, &c. They spin a 

 cocoon in which they change to a pupa. 



The ARCTiiDiE of Staudinger is the same 

 as Mr. Stainton's CHELONiDiii. Mr. Double- 

 day places two of the species (E: gvammica 

 and cribvum) with the last family; three 

 others (D. piilchella, C.jacobaa, and C. domi- 

 mila) he separates as Euchelid^ ; and the 

 remainder he also calls Chelonid.e. The 

 family includes some of our best known 

 insects both as larvae and imagines, such as 

 the tigers, ermines, &c. The characteristics 

 of the family are, imago of moderate size, 

 or rather large ; generally gaily coloured, 

 especially on the hind wings ; the abdomen 

 also often gaily coloured. The larvae 

 have sixteen legs, are very hairy, and many 

 of them will eat almost any food plant. 

 They spin a slight cocoon, generally among 

 leaves, &c., but some of them which pass 

 the winter as pupae will bury themselves 

 underground. 



The Hepialid^ is a family about which 

 there has been no diversity of opinion, 

 either as to the species to be included in it, 

 or the group in which it should be placed. 

 It has but one genus, the members of which 

 are known as " Swifts." They may be re- 

 cognized by their narrow, rather pointed 

 forewings ; by the base of the hind wings 



not being close to the base of the forewings ; 

 by their rather long bodies, and especially 

 by their antennae being remarkably short. 

 The larvae are naked, dirty-white in colour, 

 and feed below the surface on the roots of 

 various plants, constructing a long gallery. 

 The pupae are rather long, and have short 

 spines on the segments, which enable them 

 to move up this gallery when ready to 

 emerge. Mr. Stainton places this family 

 first among the Bombycina, and Mr. Double- 

 day only precedes it by the following family. 

 The habits and characteristics of the larvae 

 of this and the next family so closely re- 

 emble those of the Sesid/e, which in these 

 arrangements are the last of the Sphingina, 

 that it seems more natural to place them in 

 the position in which these English writers 

 do, rather than after the ARCXiiDiE. 



The CossiD^E is the same as the family 

 called Zeuzerid/E by Messrs. Stainton and 

 Doubleday. It includes but three British 

 species, the Goat Moth, the Wood Leopard 

 and the Reed Moth, Their general charac- 

 teristics are very similiar to the last, the 

 wings being separated at the base, and 

 except in the Goat Moth, the abdomen 

 being long and slender (in the female of the 

 Reed Moth it is of extraordinary length), 

 theautennae are short, but longer than those 

 of the last family, and those of the male are 

 pectinated for half their length. The larvae 

 too are internal feeders, and the pupae have 

 the segments spiny, so that they may work 

 themselves along their burrows. 



(To be continued.) 



SAWFLIES AND GALLFLIES. 



The Sawflies, scientifically called the 

 Tenthredinidcs, are the first family in the Order 

 Hymenoptera ; and have been very little 

 studied by the entomologists of this country, 

 the only v^ho has made this his speciality 

 being Dr. Cameron, of Glasgow. Beginners 



