177 
beadj the abdomen yellowish-flesh colour, a deep pink stripe at the sides enclosing 
I central white one, which can also be seen showing through part of the wing- 
50vers. ^ 
Two of the butterflies appeared on June 13th and 14th.~WM. Buckler 
imsworth. * 
NaUiral Usto'n, of Hepialus hectus.~To the very arduous, long-continued, and 
•aluable exertions of Mr. Joseph Steele, of Congleton, in elucidating the history 
f this species, I am deeply indebted. 
The eggs are globular, small, and bluish-black, and are laid by the ? over fern 
rakes towards the end of June. 
The young larva is hatched about the middle of July, and is then of a drab 
Dlour, with brown head, and plates on the second and anal segments, and, with 
16 aid of a lens, the hairs on its body are easily seen. 
It burrows in the lower part of the stem, and feeds in the root of Pteris 
luihna, and grows but slowly its first season. 
When a year old it makes good progress, and by or before the end of its second 
itTimn It has apparently attained its full dimensions ; it then ceases to feed, and 
nts the root, not however going beyond two or three inches from it, and there in 
le earth remains dormant until the following spring. 
In April it re-commences feeding, aud continues to about the end of May or 
^grnning of June, according to the locality and season, though not feeding in the 
as before, but attacking the young shoots of the fern ; the parts bitten are 
al excavations, about five or six lines long in a vertical direction, and from two 
three lines broad, and hence considerable exudation of sap ensues, which probably 
™s part o the sustenance of the larva, as at this time it is found quite wet, and 
e stem and soil are even saturated. 
.f.l* '^\r^ ""[y ^^ '"''^ ^" ^''°' '* ^^ ^"^^ ^^'^' '^^^«^ '^^ ^''-' ^-^ J-^Bt on the 
face of the earth, amongst dead leaves, and often under moss, spins an oblong 
3oon, lined with silk, and covered with light vegetable or eirthy matter l! 
roLw jtr '"^ '^ '"' '^'^ ""^' - ''' '-'-' ^-^ ^^ ^^-^-^ ^^4 
The fuli-grown larva is about an inch and one-eighth in length, cylindrical 
^emrVhTT.^"":^ *°^^^'^ *'^ ^^^^'^^^ ^'- J-* towards'theTnal 
■remity , the head being broad in front and rather flattened, the sides rounded 
The transverse wrinkles on the segments beyond the fourth are so regulariy 
1 uniiornily indented, that the segmental divisions cannot well be distinguished 
^ horn, the body appearing like a series of rings, each segment being sub- 
ided ^to four, the second in front being the widest, and the rest of equal width 
o^iJ nV'^, '''' clrab,-more or less pale in individuals,-and opaque.' 
oming on the thoracic segments only a little transparent and shining, Ll 
yare furnished with brilliantly-polished plates or horny markings in Z fol- 
mg order. A black or blackish-brown plate, rounded behind, covering the 
:er surface of the second segment,- the third and fourth have each a transverse 
am77f T'^'^ '"^ '''°"''^"' a very small one on each side below it 
^a little further back, on each side, is a drop-shaped plate, and just above th^ 
> an oval or circular one ,- all of these plates, besides one on the anal tip are 
k brown as also is the head, and highly lustrous, contrasting with the dull 
earance of the rest of the body. 
