HABITS OF ARGYNNIS ELISA. 317 



It was not filled up, but a plate of larger diameter than the hole was 

 clumsily fitted on the inside. Apparently this piece was made only of 

 silk darkened by the larval secretion, and as there was no basis of leaf 

 cuticle to aid, the depth of dark colour was not attained. The old case 

 remained loosely attached to the depression for a day or two, but soon 

 became knocked off by the larva travelling in search of fresher leaves. 

 I have known the old cases to be retained for a week or ten days, but 

 probably that is because they do not come forcibly in contact with some 

 obstacle to detach them. One larva I had, pupated with the curved 

 case still firmly attached to the anal end at one side, but it became 

 detached at the emergence of the imago. Generally, however, as 

 Mr. Sich has pointed out, the old cases are left attached to a portion 

 of the mines not used in the construction of the new cases. One 

 instance seemed very remarkable, in that the discarded case was 

 fastened on a leaf-stalk l|-in. below the mined leaf from which the new 

 case was formed. The larva must have emerged from the anal end of 

 the old case, travelled unhoused to the leaf, and begun the mine with 

 its body exposed, all actions carried out in most unusual circumstances, 

 and which indeed seem most improbaljle, when one knows how 

 difficult it is to induce a larva to re-enter and remain in a case after it 

 has once vacated it. When once the larvae of species in this genus 

 leave their cases, they almost invariably wander about aimlessly and 

 die without attempting to feed. The anal opening of the cases of this 

 species is always two-valved in the curved cases, but three-valved in 

 the straight cases as a general rule, but, in the instance of a final 

 case, having the slight curve of the leaf margin mentioned above, 

 there are only two valves, and among a number of cases of this species 

 sent by Mr. Hich to Mr. Bankes I noticed two or three examples of the 

 final cases also with only two valves. From the two-valved case 

 possessed by me a fully-formed imago emerged. The folloAving 

 description was made of the larva : — 



The larva is of an uniformly dark brown. The prothorax has a large dorsal 

 plate, widest in the middle, narrowed towards the sides, and ending bluntly; it is 

 divided by an uniform wide suture, and the segment itself is edged with brown in 

 front. The mesothorax has two small plates with a suture between, slightly wider 

 than in the prothorax ; they are situated near the middle and are somewhat 

 irregular in shape, neither square nor triangular. The metatborax has no plate. 

 The spiracular plates on these segments are : — On the first a spot, on the second a 

 dot, on the third a trace. The anal flap is surmounted by a large plate which 

 covers the top of the segment. These plates are all of a very dark brown, 

 almost black, colour. 



Habits of Argynnis elisa, with Description of its Egg. 



By H. POWELL. 



The first specimen of this interesting Corsican fritillary was seen 

 and caught on July 2nd, flying over the Prunelli stream about two 

 kilometres above Bastelica. Within the next few days several more 

 appeared below and above this spot, but I have not seen them as far 

 down as the village itself. I think HOO metres would be the lower 

 limit of occurrence of the species, whilst 1200 metres is the highest 

 point at which I have taken it so far. 



A. dim male has two distinct habits with regard to locality and 

 manner of flight. In the first case, and rarely, it frequents the 

 neighbourhood of streams, flying up and down somewhat in the fashion 



