246 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



escape impeded, underwent their change on the external part, and so 

 soon as this was effected I removed the fruit from the tree for the purpose 

 of placing it in a mosquito gauze house in my room. Subsequently I 

 examined several of the fruit, but I never found any chrysalides or the 

 remains of any inside the fruit. I was very careful in my observations 

 and I came to the conclusion that the caterpillars in this instance deserted 

 the fruit when ready to undergo their change." (Downes, Calcutta, 

 Journ. Nat. Hist., ii: 408, 1842.) Professor Westwood is quite correct ; 

 there is no doubt that in nature this butterfly usually pupates within the 

 fruit ; on opening these I have found at different times dozens of pupce 

 or pupae skins, but never more than one in each fruit. Mr. Downes is 

 also partially right, as if the fruit are cut off the tree and placed in a box 

 the larvae, when full-fed, will leave the fruit and pupate anywhere on the 

 sides of the box or on the fruit. 



There is one interesting question still to be referred to in the life 

 history of this butterfly — is it attended or not by ants in its larval state, 

 and has it the special organs affected by the ants ? Mr. W. C. Taylor, 

 of Khorda, Orissa, writes : — " Larva attended by the ant, Formica nigra, 

 who clear away their droppings and act as sweepers, as well as guard the 

 pupye." His daughter, Mrs. Wylly, also writes : — " The larva of 

 Virachola isocrates, though louse-like in shape, differs considerably from 

 those of Catochrysops cnejus, Fabricius, Azanus ubaldus, Cramer, and 

 Taructis theophrastus, Fabricius. The latter are inert and slow, the 

 former is very brisk in its movements, and with the protrusible long neck, 

 small head and strong jaws of a beetle grub, is no doubt well-adapted for 

 the work required in making its home. The length of the larva when 

 full-fed is rather more than an inch, and in colour and shape much 

 resembles a ripe mulberry. It had a glossy, shining skin, very knobby 

 and indented all over, of a blue and purple colour, and its three 

 posterior segments covered with a squarish shield with a raised dingy 

 yellow rim to it. The larva bores for itself when quite young a little 

 clean-cut round hole from the outer rind of the fruit of Piinica granatum 

 to the heart. In this hole it spends its days with its head inside eating 

 away at the green or ripening pips, and enlarging the hole as it increases 

 itself in size. Sometimes three or four larvae may be found buried in one 

 pomegranate. When at rest and not eating it plugs up the outer hole 

 deftly with the shield on its tail. It is a curious fact that the ants in the 

 case of this species act as sweepers to the larva, hovering in attendance 



