274 the entomologist's record. 



ill the Carlisle Museum. One of our local collectors, who disposed of 

 his insects to dealers, would work this field every day whilst ISIelitaea 

 aurinia was to be had, and many good aberrations fell to his share. 



When in the larval state, the species has many enemies besides 

 ichneumons. I have watched the cuckoo devour many hundreds of 

 larva?. Several beetles kill them, notably Pterostichus versicolor, and 

 I have noted several larva? bitten behind the head by this beetle, and, so 

 attacked, they invariably die. Mr. Day, of Carlisle, took one specimen of 

 Lebia crux-minor from a nest of M. aurinia larva?. Some of the larger 

 bugs also kill them, and I have several times seen these insects hanging by 

 their forelegs from a stem of grass or other plant with the skin of Melitaea 

 aurinia in their hind-legs, and with the juices apparently sucked from 

 the body ; they invariably presented, when noticed, the appearance of 

 flattened-out skins, but in no case can I remember having actually 

 seen the bugs sucking the larva?. Frogs and toads also eat the larva?. 

 I have, further, on four occasions, bred an imago from a larva which had 

 been apparently stung, and from which I had removed cocoons of one 

 of its parasites. All four specimens were in some way crippled, 

 and one had only three wings, and was a very small starved-looking 

 specimen. There must be several broods of parasites from the one 

 brood of M. aurinia, as, in early March, some of the smaller larva? 

 have little white cocoons adhering to them, and, later, they may be 

 found again when the larva? are half-fed and when fullfed, yet I have 

 never bred parasites from pupa? of M. aurinia. (Reference, however, 

 should be made to Mr. Wolfe's note on this subject, antea, vol. vii., 

 p. 111.) I always find that, if struck sufficiently, the larva? never pupate 

 as those of some lepidoptera are known to do. The pupa? are suspended 

 from a small silken pad at the anal extremity. They turn very dark at 

 least two days before the imago emerges, and some pupa?, which I 

 opened just before emergence, contained well-developed imagines, Avith 

 well-developed colour and markings traceable. The larva? invariably 

 pupate under dead leaves, and generally are to be found hanging 

 from a leaf which is half turned, and is resting at the point of 

 the stalk. Occasional larva?, however, appear to pupate on their 

 foodplant (Scabiosa succisa), as I once found one in this position. 

 It is remarkable that they do not seem to care for scabious in confine- 

 ment, preferring honeysuckle, and the best aberrations seem always to 

 be bred from almost fullfed larva?, gathered wild, and placed on honey- 

 suckle for a few days only. I am afraid Melitaea aurinia will never 

 again be what it was with us. Last year, when I was badly in want 

 of a series for myself, I only bred 24 (from 26 larva?), and these were 

 all the larva? that were found by three of us in over two hours' search. 



The following notes may be of interest : — Imagines, June 3rd, 

 1881, common. In 1896, young larva? well on the move, and in 

 profusion, April 6th ; they were just about fullfed April 25th (very 

 early), spreading to the lanes adjoining the meadows, and some found 

 as high as 8ft. up, feeding on honeysuckle ; the pupa? were also 

 to be found in plenty, under dead oak-leaves, on May 9th, some had 

 spun a few blades of grass together to form a sort of tent. The first 

 imago emerged on May 29th. In 1897, young larva? were noticed 

 breaking up their webs, April 4th ; on April 18th, some were three- 

 parts fed, and others were very small ; on May 2nd, they were fullfed, 

 and some were spinning ; on May 20th, pupa? were common on grass 



