16 
although I am much less struck with the imago differences than I was 
with citrago, I should not be surprised that its early stages showed 
some considerable differences from the other three members of the 
genus. 
Hoporina crocecigo .—This is of course never included in the genus 
Xanthia, although generally classified very nearly to it. It is a very 
beautiful sjoecies, and in a manner striking, with its thoracic crest set up 
prominently, and with its white-ringed legs and white-spotted costa. 
There are no very striking points about the markings, and the colour is 
particularly invariable in fresh specimens. There are, however, two 
named varieties. In one of these the ground colour is dark reddish, 
instead of the normal bright orange colour = fulvago, Hb., and Mr. 
Nicholson refers to specimens from North Wales, being of a dull brick- 
red colour. This is probably due to a thick sprinkling of dark fuscous 
scales, as our ordinary British specimens are frequently sprinkled with 
such, although never in specimens I have bred or received has this 
been sufficient to suffuse the whole wing area so as to make a striking 
variety. There is also a pale yellow variety in Southern Europe, which 
was named Corsica by Mabille, who writes of it as “ whitish-yellow,” 
while, at the same time, he notices the general constancy of the species 
on the Continent. Staudinger writes of it:—“ Pallidior, straminea.” 
After hybernation the colour is much faded, and the dark markings 
stand out prominently. Specimens in very bad condition, too, have a 
superficial appearance of being melanic. One other minor form of 
variation is noticeable, that is, the tendency in some specimens to form 
a distinct central fascia, or, at any rate, a stronger mark than the ordi¬ 
nary line. In some it assumes a > - shape, in others, a Y-shape, the 
former being due to the central line starting from the inner margin, 
running towards the apex, and then suddenly turning back to the costa, 
between the stigmata, the latter to its bifurcation in the centre of the 
wing, the second branch being continued towards the apex. The white 
hind wings have occasionally a delicate rosy tint, such as one sometimes 
sees on the fore wings of Cuspidia tridens, Noctua glareosa and a few 
other species. 
Croceago hybernates and comes to the sallows in early spring. 
Although faded in colour, it is remarkable how well the moth keeps 
its fringes throughout its hybernation, and how well it still simulates 
the dead oak leaves. The moths copulate in the early spring after hy¬ 
bernation, and the moth lays its eggs singly on the dead oak leaves 
which are still clinging to the tree. Dr. Chapman obtains a consider¬ 
able number of eggs from moths in confinement, by enclosing them in 
a glass jar with dead oak leaves and twigs. Even then, the habit of 
laying singly is generally carried out, although under such restrictions, 
it is not surprising that one finds frequently three or four eggs in a 
batch. The larva hatches as the oak-buds begin to swell and prepare 
to burst into leaf, and the young larvte rest along the veins of the 
leaves. It feeds up readily, even in our London gardens, and 1 have 
more than once successfully reared the species on some pigmy oaks in 
my own garden. The larva is full-fed in May, and goes down at once 
into the ground and forms a cocoon, but it remains in this a very consider¬ 
able time before changing to a pupa. During this time, disturbance is 
almost fatal to the successful change of the larva into a pupa. I have 
known this period to last from the first week in June until the end of 
