114 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



grey variety, which resemble in coloui- the wood. Indifferent (as when 

 young- also), whether head points towards tip or stem of leaf. Out- 

 stretched position. Same attitude and position when undergoing 

 ecdysis. 



(4) Feediiui-hahit old : Still entirely on underside of leaf of Jsiiiiina 

 triloba, but now holding on along midrib. Eats right across leaf, 

 from tip towards stem, retreating as it feeds. Still regularly eats 

 exuviae. Feeds entirely by day. 



(5) Food-habit : I have neveir been able to get my ajax larvae, of 

 whatever brood, to feed on anything but papaAV {Asimina triloba). 

 Asimina (jrandi/lora, however, I have been i;nable to procure. I tried 

 them with our English kinds of \'acriniii)ii, with Tomato, Melon, etc., 

 but could not induce them to feed. Once or twice the imagines have 

 laid ova, in the absence of Asimina, on Aristolochia aiplio, but after one 

 meal or so the larva perished. 



(6) I have been able to discover no difference between the sleeping- 

 and the resting-habits of /. aja.c (larva). It keeps principally to the 

 underside of the leaves of papaw, but occasionally sleeps on the 

 stem of that plant. 



(7) Forirard or lafniard habit : Of the two small broods of I. aja.v 

 larvae which I had under observation, I noticed that some fed up sooner 

 than others. All of them, however, in the instance of the first brood, 

 produced imagines within a week of one another. In the case of the 

 second brood only two larvte pupated successfully, both of these doing so 

 withiu three days of each other. One pupa gave birth to an imago in 

 about three weeks, the other, in spite of attempts to force it, is 

 hybernating as such (<■/'. Edwards' account of /. aja.r, Biittfi. of Xorth 

 America). 



(8) Movt-moitx : After hatching, the larva of /. aja.r, though 

 onisciform, displayed great activity. Crawling about the stem and 

 leaves of papaw rapidly, and letting itself down by a silken thread if 

 disturbed or frightened. Unlike the larvre of I'apilio marhaon and 

 Laertias ph lienor, it moves backwards when full-grown whilst feeding. 

 When older it loses the habit of descending by means of a silken 

 thread, but remains rapid in its movement till the end. It, however, 

 will only display its activity if disturbed or in search of food. 



(9) Silk-spinnin<i Jiabit : With the exception of the habit of letting 

 itself down by a silken thread when recently hatched, the larva of 

 I. ajax makes remarkably little use of silk, even when undergoing 

 ecdysis. I suppose that this is due partly to its living always on the 

 underside of the leaves or upon the stems of its foodplant or on the 

 skin, partly to the fear of betraying its presence which evidently 

 characterises it. 



(10) Unlike the larvae of ['apilio machanii and Lacrtias pltilcnor, 

 that of /. aja.r conceals itself with assiduity all its life. When young- 

 it is not content with closely resembling a snuill grey slug, but hides 

 itself usually either on the underside of the leaves, or upon the stems 

 of its foodplant. This protective habit seems to grow with age (see 

 the end of note 2). 



When full grown its yellow-banded green-gray shape, swelling 

 considerably towards the head, which resembles a blunt leaf-tip, and 

 tapering to a stem-like tail, seen at right angles to the leaf upon which 

 it feeds or rests, gives it the exact appearance of a l^ent or unfolding 



