LIFE-HISTORIES. 185 



the water, not on their backs, like Eumorpha elpenor, L., was observed 

 to do by Albin, Hellins, and Harris," but " right way up." Some of 

 the larvae, after having uncurled themselves, at first moved the head 

 and tail to and fro, and, in this respect, more or less agreed with what 

 Hellins suggested E. elpenor might do." This mode of progression, 

 however, is extremely slow and uncertain, and, in all cases, was given 

 up by the larviP after a short time, but was, however, in some cases, 

 resorted to again, on and off, for a few seconds each time. The rest 

 of the larviB, as soon as they were uncurled, tried to " walk " on the 

 surface of the water, and with fair success, as, on an average, they pro- 

 gressed about an inch a minute. The larvae which first moved the 

 head and tail to and fro, afterwards followed the example of the rest, 

 and tried to "walk " on the surface of the water. The larvae, when 

 "walking" on the water, progress in rather a jerky manner, and a 

 slight arch of the body commences at the posterior and runs along the 

 body to the bend, it being most pronounced when at the 1st and 2nd 

 abdominal segments. If the larvffi are first completely immersed in 

 the water (which can only be done by holding them under the water) 

 they seem to be only able to get their heads and thoracic segments 

 out of the water until they reach dry land ; in this case, they progress 

 by moving the head to and fro, the rate of progression now being, 

 if anything, slightly quicker than in the former case. In one 

 instance, I dropped a larva into water from a height of about ten feet, 

 and it did not sink, the hairs apparently being sufficient to keep the 

 larva from sinking, or becoming totally immersed in the water. I 

 also placed some larvae in water to see how long they could live in 

 such a position, keeping them in, or rather on, the water for periods 

 of five, ten, fifteen, thirty, and forty-five minutes, and two and ten 

 hours ; in each case when the larva was removed from the water it 

 appeared to be none the worse for its swim. Taking the above facts 

 into consideration, it seems that if a larva of A. caia happens to fall 

 into water (even from a height of ten feet, or perhaps more) it is not 

 likely it would be drowned, as it is able to remain on the surface of 

 the water for a considerable period, perhaps as long as it could live 

 without food, and has, moreover, the power of swimming of no mean 

 order. — Raleigh S. Smallman, Wressil Lodge, Wimbledon Common, 

 Surrey. Ma<i IQth, 1905. 



I^^OTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARVAE, &c. 



Pupal habit of Macrothylacia rubi. — I am much interested in 

 watching a pupa of Macrothylaria rnbi. The larva spun up in a 

 chip box, and made a slight silken cocoon, the top of which was 

 left open for emergence. Every morning, the pupa wriggles its 

 way to this opening, and all day it remains with its head slightly 

 projected from the cocoon, but, at night, when the temperature falls, 

 the pupa drops back into the bottom of the cocoon. I mention this as 

 I have seen no notice of this curious habit elsewhere. — Percy C. Reid, 

 F.E.S., Peering Bury, Kelvedon. May 1st, 1905. [See Xat. flistor}/ 

 British Lejiiduptera, lii., p. 141. — Ed.] 



* See .1 Ndtiirnl Histdrii of British I.t'piilo])ter'i, by J. W. Tiitt, vol. iv., pp. 

 67-G«. 



