1867.] 157 
mottled with purplish-brown, chiefly about the black spiracles, and close beneath 
them is a pale stripe of yellowish-grey, its upper edge still paler ; the belly and 
legs of a similar tint, but a trifle darker. The four tubercular pale dots, ringed 
with dark brown, are situated within the dark marks on the back of each segment 
This is a distinction by which it may be readily identified. — Id. 
Note on Pterophorus osteodadylus. — For years past, ever since I learned that 
larvEe could be beaten from various wild flowers, and that the golden-rod was good 
for certain EupithecicB, I had been puzzled with a little fusiform, brown-striped 
larva, which T often found on it, but could never rear to the perfect insect, as it 
always died in the winter. I remember at one time sending specimens to some 
five or sis entomologists (not beginners like myself), by whom it was referred to 
as many different genera and families, not of Lepidoptera only, but also of one or 
two other orders, — much of course to my satisfaction. 
However, on reading in a number of the " Entomologist " this year a note by 
Mr. Gregson on osteodadylus, I saw at once that he had solved my puzzle ; and 
since then I have confirmed his observations by myself breeding, quite unex- 
pectedly, three specimens of the moth, — one on July 8th, one on August 26th, and 
the third I found dead, not having noticed when it came out. I remember that 
last year two or three of these larvee were on some golden-rod flowers, which I had 
picked for another species, but I took no care of them, expecting that, as usual, 
they would dry up in the winter. The only diSerence in their treatment was this, 
that they were left to take their chance (mostly outdoors in a shady corner of my 
garden), with their withered food in a flower-pot, the earth in which was covered 
with a thick growth of moss (Hypnum sericeum) . I noticed that two of them, after 
walking about for a time on the covering of the pot, at last settled down for 
hybernation just where the leuo and the moss creeping up to the rim met, and 
spun a thread or two to keep themselves somewhat protected. I did not watch 
them much after this, but imagine they left their hybernacula some time in April, 
for I know it must have been in that month that, as I was beating the sallows for 
catkins tenanted by Xanthice, one of these little golden-rod larvffi fell into my net, 
evidently being on his travels previously to spinning. 
This capture raised my hopes of at last seeing the moth, so I tried him with 
various kinds of food then out in leaf, but could not see that he ate anything ; and, 
having unfortunately squeezed him to death, I once more gave up the puzzle as a 
bad job. It was a great relief, therefore, to me to read Mr. Gregson's note, and 
still more so to breed the moths myself; for though in a general way I don't care 
much for " small things," finding plenty of occupation for all my spare time in 
trying to rear Macros, yet this little larva coming in my way year after year 
troubled me. 
The moths seem to be on the wing in July and August : the larv^ feed 
through September and October, till the downy seeds of the golden-rod fly away, 
then hybernate till April, when, after moving about a Uttle, they spin up. — 
J. Hellins, Exeter, Sept. 18, 1867. 
P.S. — Since writing the above, I have been reminded by Mr. Buckler that 
three or four years ago I sent him some larva;, beaten from the flowers and 
