90 
!>epteni 
suited in my finding an egg deposited on the narrow leaved plantain ; in this «= 
there was, however, no trace of any larva having fed ; and its occuA-once on ti 
plant must have been accidental, for I afterwards found several eggs on the tuki 
side of the leaves of Lotus corniculatus and also larvaj and pupaj in the roots of 
same. I have forwarded the larva to Mr. Buckler to figure and ho will sesi 
description of it to the Magazine.— E. G. Meek, 4, Old Ford Road, E., July ZQtU 
Note on the earlier stages of Sesia, ichneumoniformis. — The larva of t> 
species has, until recently, baffled the researches of entomologists, both British s 
foreign ;^ and has been reserved for the indefatigable Mr. Meek to make know 
US. This is the second clear-wing larva he has discovered. 
On July 26th, 1869, Mr. Meek sent me a larva of 8. ichneumoniformis, i 
subsequently a pupa, with the mines of both in the main roots of Lotus cornicuh 
Its habit is to scoop out a grove or hollow channel along the side of 
root, covering its back evenly with the gnawings or dShris of frass, spun 
gether with silk, not projecting as an excrescence, but with the outline of the i 
preserved ; it is however, if present, readily seen where sought for, as tho exter 
covering of its mine is of a pale brownish-yellow saw-dust tint and texture, in stn 
contrast to the dark grey -brown colour of the rind of the root. 
The larva is about half-an-inch long, rather thick in proportion to its leng 
the head is less flattened than usual in this genus, and the body rounded, pin 
and full ; the second segment is the longest, and the third and fourth are rat 
thicker than tho others, with puffed or swollen sub-divisions ; the rest of tho s 
ments have rather an over-lapping tendency, and the three hinder ones ta 
gradually. 
The head is pale brownish flesh colour, with three broad stripes of brown do 
each lobe, and a triangular brown patch between them ; the mouth is blacki 
brown. 
The second segment has a semi-transparent polished plate of flesh cok 
through which can be faintly seen the back parts of the head slightly tiuged vi 
brown. 
All the other segments are of an uniform pale yellowish flesh colour, rat ' 
opaque, with a slight trace, here and there visible, of a darker dorsal vessel. 
The tubercles are not raised, but the situation of each of them is indicated 
a very fine pale brown hair. The spiracles are flesh-coloured, outlined with brov 
the pro-legs same as the body ; the anterior legs pale brown. 
The pupa is about three-eighths of an inch long and rather flattened boneal 
arched upwards rather suddenly from the sharp beaked point at the head, f 
rounded on the back. The abdomen at its junction with the thorax is depres: 
at the sides, widens gradually for about half its length, and from thence tap 
towards the anal extremity, which is rather truncated. The abdominal rings hj 
a series of minute covered hooka at their edges. The wing and antonuEe cases : 
remarkably long, extending nearly to the end of the abdomen. The eyes appi 
large and projecting and are black, all the other parts being of a shining broi 
brown.— Wm. Buckler, Emsworth, 12th August, 1869. 
Note on period of appearance of larva of Folia nigrocincta.—m\ Gregson 1 
certainly made a mistake in his accounts of the larva of this species, when ho sta 
