NOTES ON THE EAKLY STAGES OF DAPHNIS NERII. 251 



spike is black and shiny as before, but there is now a white tip. It 

 is thickly sprinkled with short black hairs arising from numerous 

 hard-looking tubercles set back. The two tubercles at the extremity 

 are still present, but they are not so prominent as in the first stage. 

 They are no larger than the other tubercles on the white tip. All the 

 hairs and tubercles on this white portion of the spike are colourless. 

 In this stage, as in the preceding one, the horn or spike is hinged at the 

 base to enable it to be raised upright or laid fiat down behind the larva 

 at will. When in its resting-position, stretched along the midrib on the 

 underside of a leaf, the larva lays its spike down so that it touches the 

 leaf. When the larva is irritated or disturbed, the spike is brought 

 upright, and when walking or feeding it is alternately raised and 

 lowered to suit the various movements. The hairs on the surface of 

 the la.rva are now nmiierous, but only visible when considerably magni- 

 fied (I see them clearly x40). They are black and extremely short. 

 Length at the end of 2nd stage 17mm. 



Li/inii up for aecnnd iiioidt, on September 23rd : The weather has been 

 decidedly colder and generally cloudy since the larva entered its second 

 stage (thermometer varying between 66°F. and 56°F.). This may have 

 retarded its progress somewhat. 



Third stadiwii (reached on the morning of September 24th) : Very 

 little change in the general appearance. The eye-spot on iiietathorax 

 is larger and more distinct than before. It is composed of two good 

 sized white spots connected by a short neck, the whole ringed with 

 blue. The yelloAV subdorsal line is stronger on the abdominal, but 

 weaker on the thoracic, segments, where it has as nearly as possible 

 died out. The white spots on and above it, on the dorsum, are rather 

 more numerous. It is shaded below with bluish-green, and the line of 

 blue-white spots in this shading is more conspicuous, each spot being 

 distinctly ringed with dark blue. Below this regular line of spots, and 

 still within the blue-green shading, are other spots, smaller, but other- 

 wise similar. Below the shading is a narrow and not very sharply 

 marked spiracularline of light yellow. The true legs are orange-coloured 

 towards their extremities. Caudal spike 7'9mm. in length, tapering 

 to a fine point as before ; it is rather thicker at the base than in the 

 two first stages, but has not altered in shape otherwise ; the white at 

 the end extends further down, and gradually tones oft" through pale 

 pink to yellow down the sides ; a black stripe runs up the front, and 

 another up the back of the spike, reaching as far as the white portion. 

 The spike is studded with short black spines on black bases, excepting 

 on the white part, where they are white and smaller, besides being 

 inclined backward at a sharp angle. Spines are stiffer and look less 

 numerous than in the first stage, and their wart-like bases are propor- 

 tionately larger. The spike is even more mobile than before. When 

 walking the larva brings it right over the back with each step. The 

 larva laid up for the third moult on September 28th, when its length 

 was 25mm. 



Fourth stadiuiii : On September 29th the fourth stage was reached, 

 and this moult produced a decided change. Excepting in size, the 

 head has not altered. It is green, but more opaque and solid-looking 

 than the body, which is fleshy, soft, and slightly transparent, especially 

 the thoracic segments, after the middle of the stage has been reached. 

 The pupils of the eye-spot have quite coalesced, and noAV form a single 



