ISepterabei 
108 
Query concmimg Ch,^ocampa EZpenor.-A friend of mine had a larva, about an '■ 
inch long, of C. El^enor, brought to him about three weeks since, which was found 
on log-beam near here. We afterwards found about twenty at the same spot, and 
also three or four feeding on bed-straw. I had four pupee from these, and this 
morning, to my surprise, two images had emerged. Has any other entomologist 
experienced this unusual occurrence ? 
My friend had a Smerinthus popidi, apparently fresh from the pupa, given to 
him about a week since. Could this be from a last year's larva ?-A. Matthews, 
Oxford, August 5tli, 1868. 
%* We have no doubt that these insects pertained to a second brood, de- 
veloped through the unprecedented heat of the present summer. Similar instances 
constantly occur in hot seasons [vide preceding note].— Eds. 
Desc'n:pUon of the larva of Fidonia pinetaria, Huh. (Irunneata, 8tejph.).-ln 
October 1867, Mr. Buckler sent me five eggs of this species, which had been kmdly 
given to him by Dr. Buchanan White, of Perth. On receiving them, I examined 
them carefully under my microscope, and made the following description :- 
The egg is oval in outUne, but flattened, the upper-side being even depressed 
in the middle ; the whole surface covered with reticulations-generally hexagons, 
but some only pentagons, in shape; and at each angle where the lines of the 
reticulation meet, there is a little raised bright white knob (a pecuhanty I have 
not yet observed in any other egg), the whole egg looking as if set with tiny pearls, 
on a ground-colour of shining salmon-pink. 
About the end of February, 1868, the eggs grew darker, and between March 
2nd and 8th four larva, emerged, the fifth dying unhatched. After a little hesitation 
they began to eat buds of whortle-bei-iy {Vaccinium my Hillus), hut somehow, withm 
a few days, two of them died. The two survivors, however, gi-ew on steadily ; and 
from being dark brown at their first appearance, after a moult or two began tc 
assume a striped dress : the ground-colour was now pale grey-almost white ; the 
dorsal and supra- spiracular lines almost black, with an intermediate sub-dorsal hue 
of brown ; and the spiracular stripe tinged with yellow. 
About April 24th the larger of the two larvae seemed fuU-grown. At tha- 
time it was rather over half-an-inch in length, of uniform bulk, cylindrical, thehea< 
horny, the skin smooth, but puckered along the spiracles. The colouring wa 
disposed in a multiplicity of fine lines, which I now give in due order. 
The dorsal line-widening in the middle of each segment-dark gi-een, closel; 
• edged with almost black threads ; then a thin white hne ; then the sub-dorsal lin 
of pale pinkish-brown outlined with darker brown ; then another thin white hue 
then three oUve-brown lines (the middle one palest, and the lower one darkest] 
partly showing distinct, and partly run together, so as to form a stripe just abov 
the spiracles. 
The spiracular Une broad, white, but tinged with yellow in the centre of ea^ 
segment. The belly of a dirty white, with some oblique dashes, and lines of brow: 
This larva went to earth at the end of April, and tho moth from it appeared o 
June 1st.— J. Hellins, Exoter, June 23rd, 1868. 
