232 TflE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGISt. 



darker green (the ground colour) was almost completely replaced by 

 "port-wine-red," leaving the lighter yellow-green in strong contrast. 

 Because the larvae were of the same size and shape, fed upon the same 

 plant and yielded similar pupse, Mr. Edwards was led to believe that they 

 were varietal forms of the same species. His suggestion that "possibly, 

 in raising a brood of these caterpillars at some future time, both red and 

 green ones will be found among them," is tantamount to a prediction. 

 Such proved to be the case. Of the four larvae which were raised by me, 

 one fitted the description of "the caterpillar of 1881" (green) to a nicety ; 

 a second corresponded in every detail to the "port-wine-red" caterpillar 

 (of 1882), and of the two others one was intermediate between these, and 

 one became eventually even more completely red than the red one of 

 Edwards. 



Feeding Habits. — The habits of the caterpillar when feeding on plum 

 have been described ; they do not differ essentially when Vaccinium is the 

 food. When young the larvae will eat the floral organs, but by the time 

 the second moult is reached these have disappeared and the green fruit 

 is eaten. A tunnel just large enough to accommodate the head is made 

 in the side of a berry, and as the mandibles work this deeper and deeper 

 the "collar" is brought up flush with the surface of the fruit, much as a 

 man's sleeve would come against a fence if he attempted to force his arm 

 through a small hole therein. This gives the caterpillar the appearance 

 of being half-way into a berry not large enough to hold the half. 



The larvpe will often remain motionless (apparently) for many hours 

 at a lime, and do not evince any great desire to wander from a fruit-cluster 

 until all the edible pulp has disappeared. My "very red one" (No. 5), 

 when nearly mature spun a little silk on a pedicel, and after firmly fixing 

 his anal prolegs to the mat proceeded to clean out all the food within 

 reach. It devoured the interiors of five berries in about eight hours 

 without releasing its hold on the mat. In order to do this it was twice 

 necessary to maintain an exceedingly awkard position. Having finished 

 up these five it moved the fore part of its body in all directions, until it 

 came in contact with the lowest fruit on a cluster above, and into this it 

 promptly bored. As long as watched (about 25 minutes) it fed in this 

 unusual position, stretched to its full length, with only the anal prolegs 

 and the true legs touching the plant. When next observed it had released 

 its hold on the lower cluster. 



