152 [DecemlKjr, 



LIFE HISTORY OF PAPILIO ARCHIDAMAS. 

 BT GEETASE F. MATHEW, E.N., E.L.S., F.Z.S. 



This fine butterfly was tolerably plentiful in certain localities in 

 the neighbourhood of Valparaiso in October, November, and December, 

 1872. In January, 1873, it became less frequent, and, by the end of 

 that month, had altogether disappeared. In its habits this species is 

 a swift flyer, seldom remaining for more than a few seconds upon any 

 flower it might happen to alight on ; is excessively shy ; and this, 

 added to the rough nature of the ground where it usually occurred, 

 made it most difiicult to capture, and those obtained were generally so 

 rubbed and torn, as to be quite unfit for preserving. 



On the 24th November, I observed a female fluttering over a 

 small Tropcdolum plant, evidently, from her movements, depositing eggs ; 

 in a few moments she flew away, and, upon examining the plant, I 

 discovered a small cluster of eggs upon the upper surface of one of 

 the leaves. These were perfectly circular, rather flattened, and covered 

 with a slight yellowish bloom. The same day, in other parts of the 

 Tropceolum, I found larvae of all sizes, from just hatched to full grown. 



The etr'TS laid on the 24th November hatched on the 30th. The 

 juvenile larvae are at first quite black, but grow very rapidly, and soon 

 assume a dark purple hue. The full fed larva is velvety, and of a deep 

 madder purple, which, in certain lights, seems almost black ; claspers 

 of the same colour ; head and prolegs black ; from each segment 

 springs a short, blunt, fleshy, yellow spine, forming a sub-dorsal row ; 

 on the second segment on each side of the face is a long, yellow, 

 moveable tentacle, black at the tip, and from this, when the larva is 

 irritated, long yellow thread-like filaments are emitted ; these tentacles 

 are connected by a yellow collar, which is also faintly discernible on 

 the under surface ; on the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth segments there 

 is a short yellow spine, but below those forming the sub-dorsal stripe ; 

 a pale yellow streak runs just above the prolegs ; a short, blunt, 

 yellow spine springs from the base of each clasper, and there are spines 

 similarly situated on the eleventh and twelfth segments ; spiracles 

 black, edged with orange. The whole appearance of the larva is short, 

 much thickened in the middle, and tapering towards each extremity, 

 and the segmental divisions are well defined. It is soft and flabby to 

 the touch, has a disagreeable smell, and adheres with considerable 

 tenacity to its food plant. When about to change, it spins a pad of 

 silk on a twig, girts itself with a silken thread, and turns into a dusky 

 brown ajid much angulated chrysalis. • 



