TIIE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
423 
tion was made on the 27th May, 1873, when the larvae 
appeared full grown. 
At p. 164 of the tenth volume of the ‘Entomologist’s 
Weekly Intelligencer,’ Professor Zeller gives the following 
description of the larva of Actason, which I have cited at 
p. 173 of ‘British Butterflies.’ “The caterpillar feeds in 
June on the wood small-reed, Calamogrostis epigejos, chiefly 
under the shade of fir-trees; it makes deep notches on the 
edges of the leaves, which help to betray its proximity. It 
feeds in the evening and at night, resting in the daytime 
extended on the flat surface of a leaf. It is of the form usual 
in the genus, and it has also two snowy spots, as in the 
caterpillars of Lineola and Sylvanus. It is pale green, with 
a darker dorsal line edged with a yellowish line on each side, 
and enclosing a paler central line. Along the side is a narrow 
yellow line above, and a broad one beneath ; the two yellow 
lines on the back are prolonged as far as the middle of the 
green head, and run to the end of the rounded anal shield, 
which is narrowly edged with yellow. Towards the end of 
June the caterpillar spins together two leaves with a few 
white silk threads, and becomes a slender chrysalis, the 
peculiarities of which I had, however, no opportunity of 
observing. In a fortnight two males made their appearance.” 
I wish to invite attention as much to the slight differences 
which exist between the two descriptions as to their agree¬ 
ments; the difference in time of being full fed is fully a 
month. I may also state that the larvae so kindly given me 
by Mr. Parmiter fed indifferently on blades of oats, canary- 
seed, and couch-grass (Triticum repens), all of which come 
up spontaneously in my little garden .—Edward Newman. 
Early History of Agrotis Ashworthii .—I beg to furnish 
you with the early history of Agrotis Ashworthii for publica¬ 
tion in the ‘Entomologist.’ There being no figure of the 
larva of this hitherto-exclusively British moth in any English 
book, and Milliere’s figure taken from mature larvae, collected 
by myself in Wales during April giving no idea of it in its 
young state, I purpose giving its life-history up to your 
description in its last skin, page 337 of the ‘ British Moths,’ 
and Milliere’s figure in his ‘ Jconograph of New and Little- 
known Insects.’ The eggs are deposited during July, in 
patches of from thirty to one hundred and fifty eggs together, 
