64 
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Medon of South England, by changing its food for some weeks, may change^ 
Artaxerxes, and the specific identity of the two forms will then be for ever i,i 
testably demonstrated.— P. C. Zellkr, Stettin, 2ith June, 1869. 
Life history of Folia nigrocinda, and description of its larva.— -Eggs lafj 
July and August, on the sea-pink, Statice armeria; first larrse hatched SeptJ 
25th; fed on sea-pink in preference to several plants ofi-ered (there can, indeed 
no doubt that sea-pink is its proper food-plant), and continued to feed upon i 
intervals throughout winter, growing but very little after October, when a 
were about three-tenths of an inch long. Color: clear, slightly pellucid, erne 
green, with a light spiracular line. Shape .- long in proportion to their hvm 
the dorsal lines scarcely perceptible. About May, the colour changes to a m 
what more pellucid light mineral-green, with the head, face, and trophi glass^ 
and the shape is slightly flattened to the spiracular line, then becoming b| 
cylmdrical with dorsal lines double, but only faintly indicated ; between the d^ 
and the sub-dorsal line (which is also double, but still more faintly traced J| 
the dorsal marks) there are three minute light dots, one above and two be» 
upon each segment. The spiracular line is whitish-green, well-defined upon. 
upper edge and toned off into the light pea-green of the under-part of the la« 
feet light green, claspers slightly tinged with olive. At this stage, the larva is iV 
of stretching itself out upon a stem of the sea-pink or grass during the night-tit 
and at such times the divisions of the first eight segments appear as yelW 
nngs. Gradually the larva changes colour ; first a dark tinge of ochreous olli 
pmk creeps over it, and it begins to show its preference for the flowers of the (,i 
pink, which is just coming into bloom. Eesting on the stems with its claspers, ,,l 
turned over the top of the flowers, it fairly devours them; commencing withK 
petals and stamens, it will, in a very short time, cat an enth-e flower-head, il 
then gnaw the stem down, after the manner of Leucania littoralis on star-gi^ 
until It has to move lower down the stem itself as it feeds. Growing rapidly i^i 
It soon becomes less flattened, stouter, with the segmental divisions more o( 
stricted and slightly pellucid, and changes to a smooth light pinkish or rich fad 
colour, tinged with olivaceous (an indescribable color) ; the head hairy, brow^ 
than before, but still glass-like ; the dorsal line a little better defined, still doaJ 
on the centre of the segments, but joined together at each of the constrictidl 
forming a faintly defined chain-like mark down the back; the sub-dorsal line (' 
only be seen now with a good glass, under which the coloring of the space betwflj 
these lines may be seen as marmorate brownish markings or atomic suffusatio( 
and the three segmental spots before named are now light, >vith a dark upper edfl' 
the spiracular line is light, but less pronounced than before, the spiracles bail 
composed of a dark ring with an ochreous inside. Beneath, the larva is ligf 
greenish, with horn-like feet. One peculiarity of this larva is a singular violet t' 
peach-bloom appearance which often passes over it, especially over some of t 
first and last segments, as it moves. To sum up, it is one of those larvse whii' 
have no salient points to rely upon, and this want adds to the difficulty ^ 
description ; it certainly has no resemblance to the larva of any other Folia whii 
ha^ ever been in the British List, but rather approaches some of the true Had&^ 
larvae, especially, when mature, resembling in general appearance certain larva9^ 
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