272 LIFE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



but thrived on tliis new food. On the 14th of Febru- 

 ary it changed its second skin. We noticed that the 

 larva at this stage was not so dark, and that there 

 were yellow markings on the 4th and 7th segments, 

 and also along the sides of the body. After feeding for 

 two days it attached itself by the tail to the side of the 

 box, and pupated on the 16th of February. The 

 adult emerged on the 21st of February by breaking 

 open the pupal skin. It was quite yellow with no 

 black marks at first, but in a very short time the 

 black spots appeared, and in about half an hour 

 altogether it was a normal Lets conformis. 



Observation II. — We placed another ladybird in a 

 box, a yellow ladybird, of the species Coccinella re- 

 pandaf with black markings but not regular spots. 

 The egj^s were laid on the 10th of February; the 

 tiny larviG hatched on the 12tli of February. They 

 were yellow at first, becoming quite black in a little 

 time. They changed the first skin on 17th and 18th 

 of February. There were more yellow patches on 

 these grubs than on those of Lcis conformis. There 

 was a broad yellow transverse band on the second 

 segment: on the third, two short transverse bars, 

 and running down from between these a longitu- 

 dinal yellow^ band : the anal segment was also yellow 

 as also the outer edge of the body. They changed 

 the second skin on the 23rd and 24th of February, 

 and pupated on the 27th, 28th and 29th of February 

 respectively. They emerged on the 5th and 6th of 

 March. 



The larvae of ladybirds are very voracious, and 

 if left in a box with no food will just devour each 

 other, beginning with the little ones. We left some 



