tHE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 125 



anterior segments largest of all, and compressed laterally ; colors very- 

 variable ; some examples are buff with greenish markings, or on the abdo- 

 men greenish-brown ; the head and wing cases buff, the former with a 

 slight red tint ; on the depression at base of head case is a patch of clear 

 pale pink on either side the dorsal line, and between, as also at the outer 

 edges of these patches, is a little black ; top of head case pink and black, 

 the processes dark brown at top and on dorsal side ; mesonotum buff 

 mottled green, as is the dorsal side of abdomen ; wing cases buff, with a 

 greenish patch on middle and a stripe running with one of the interspaces 

 of the wing next margin ; on side of abdomen a reddish-buff stripe and 

 below this a broad greenish-brown band ; on ventral side a clear pink 

 patch from end of wings down. Some were very black, the wing cases 

 and anterior parts mottled in light and dark black ; some had the wing 

 cases, mesonotum and head case pink tinted, mottled all over with green- 

 ish-black ; the ventral edges of wing cases clear pink-buff ; in all examples 

 the two pink spots at base of head case and the stripe on abdomen 

 appear, and in all there is a black angular inscription like figure 3 or like 

 V, on the ventral side of the wing case about one-third the distance from 

 base to end. 



On 24th June, 1879, I received from Mr. Jacob Boll, Dallas, Texas, 

 several larvae of Vanillae, some of which had hatched en route, others in 

 stages up to near third moult, and feeding on Passiflora. These larvae 

 passed their changes with great rapidity. Eggs laid 19th June hatched 

 22nd or 23rd; larvae passed first moult 25th, second moult 27th, third 

 29th, fourth 1st July, pupated 5th, and the imago appeared 12th July. So 

 that the whole round in one case was 23 days. In another but 21, the 

 time between the moults from first to fourth being 40, 42 and 59 hours. I 

 had Passiflora growing near by, so that food was plenty and the weather 

 was hot, and these changes proceeded as they might have done in the 

 tropics. The only species of butterfly which I have known to pass its 

 stages so rapidly has been D. Archippus of the midsummer brood. The 

 larvae of Vanillae have six rows of spines, longer and slenderer than in 

 Argynnis, and the bristles which surround them are much shorter and finer 

 than in Argynnis. And the head spines are of same character as those of 

 the body. When ready to suspend, the larva spins a button of white 

 silk, and hangs at first straight, the anterior segments bent on segment 5 

 at a right angle. After a few hours the back curves in somewhat, and the 

 head is lowered till at last it is almost in line with the body. The whole 



