The eggs are deposited in October and November. When first laid they are pale greenish-white, but become dark brown in the centre as the enclosed embryo develops. The young larvæ emerge in about a fortnight. At this time the two anterior pairs of prolegs are very short, causing the caterpillar to loop up its back when walking. In colour the young larva is pale brown, with numerous black warts emitting several long, stiff bristles. It is very active, and busily devours the soft green portions of the dock leaves, leaving the harder membrane untouched. Twelve days later the larva becomes pale green in colour, and moults for the first time, after which traces of subdorsal and lateral lines present themselves. Growth then proceeds with great rapidity, and in another eleven days the larva again sheds its skin. The last moult occurs a fortnight later. At this time the larva is pale greenish-brown, inclining to yellow on the ventral surface. The lateral lines consist of a series of black markings near the posterior margin of each segment; the subdorsal lines are represented by four oblique black marks on each side of the four posterior segments of the larva. The region between these lines is much clouded with yellowish-green or pink, the larvæ having a tendency to diverge into pink and green varieties. The anal segment is dull yellow. The head is brown, with two black stripes and several black dots. Whilst rearing these larvæ I noticed that during the daytime they invariably hid themselves under the blotting paper at the bottom of the breeding cage. No doubt, under natural conditions, they retreat beneath the ground, only coming abroad at night to feed. This habit would account for the difficulty experienced in finding larvæ of this genus in a state of nature. The pupa state is spent in the earth, and occupies about a month. The moth appears towards the end of January. It evidently hibernates through the winter, as it is often seen very late in the autumn, and is always one of the first moths to come to sugar in the early spring. It is frequently observed at rest on fences and trees in the daytime. {17}MELANCHRA MAYA, n. sp. (Plate IV., fig. 31.) A single specimen of this species was taken on the Tableland of Mount Arthur, at an altitude of about 3,500 feet.