1880.] 
153 
oblong-ovate form, of a dirty greenish-white colour, with numerous 
blaclc scaly spots ; its meso- and metathoracic segments are furnished with 
two lay ge lateral , conical tubercles , and the abdominal segments have also 
two rows of smaller dorsal and lateral tubercles, from which . . . drops 
of a fetid fluid are emitted when the larva is alarmed.” The Chryso- 
niela larva, on the other hand, has the same general resemblance to 
that of Timarcha, as figured by Westwood (op. cit., p. 389, fig. 48, 2). 
The larva of Gastrophysa moults twice before pupation, retaining the 
same larval form. Chrysomela moults three times : before the first 
moult the young larva is hirsute, but afterwards nearly smooth, without 
hairs, or with only a very fine pubescence, and without warts or 
tubercles. The Gastrophysa larva is always depressed and extended : 
that of Chrysomela laterally compressed, with the manitrunk and ab- 
domen humped— rising from the darker scaly head and prothorax in 
the manner of the shell from the snail in crawling. Before the first 
moult the larva, with its arched hairy back and conical ear-like antenna, 
is often ridiculously like a young kitten. In all these points — character 
of shell,* number and arrangement of eye-spots, and dorsal warts, 
number of moults and general anopluriform appearance— the larva of 
Trasocuris marginella agrees with Gastrophysa and differs from Chry- 
somela. 
One other point of interest remains to be mentioned, a point 
of agreement between Gastrophysa raphani and Lina populi. At 
pp. 242—3 of vol. ii, Kirby and Spence, speaking of osmateria, say : 
“ The grub of the poplar beetle ( Chrysomela populi ) also is remarkable 
for similar organs. On each side of the nine intermediate dorsal 
segments of its body is a pair of black, elevated, conical tubercles, of 
a hard substance ; from all of these, when touched, the animal emits 
a drop of a white milky fluid, the smell of which, De Greer observes, 
is almost insupportable, being inexpressibly strong and penetrating. 
These drops proceed at the same instant from all the eighteen scent- 
organs ; which forms a curious spectacle. The insect, however, does 
not waste this precious fluid ; each drop instead of falling, after appear - 
in g for a moment and dispensing its perfume , is withdrawn again within 
its receptacle, till the pressure is repeated, when it reappears .” See also 
plate xviii, fig. 1. I wish to call attention to the sentence I have 
underlined, for a reason which will be immediately apparent. I wish, 
in fact, to ask : is it quite certain that this emitted matter is entirely 
* The nature and amount of the glutinous matter is not obvious in the case of Prasocuris 
eggs. The insect cuts a small round hole in the hollow petiole of a Ranunculus leaf and deposits 
the eggs, to the number of 4 or 5—7 in the interior. -J. A. O. 1 
