STKAY NOTES ON CERTAIN SPECIES OF BUTTERFLIES. 219 



but dehiscence further takes place longitudinally down the centre of the 

 thorax dorsally, then transversely between the metathoracic (3rd 

 thoracic) segment and the first abdominal, being continued down the 

 line separating the hind wing from the abdomen. There are thus four 

 distinct parts : — (1). The aljdomen. (2). The antennae, legs, maxillae 

 and head. (3 and 4). The fore and hind wings on one side, with half 

 the pro-, meso- and meta-thoracic segments for that side, the. latter 

 attached to wings on the same side. These four parts all fall apart 

 on the emergence of the imago. The dehiscence of L. cegcrm differs 

 from that of L. ma'gern, inasmuch as it splits medio-dorsally down the 

 thoracic segment, and then runs for a short distance between the base 

 of the wings and abdominal segments. None of the pieces separate, 

 however. Compared with the dehiscence of L. mcegera just described, 

 we find that the pupa of Melanargin galatea appears to have the mem- 

 brane ill-developed, and the piece (consisting of head, antenna?, legs 

 and maxilla?) falls off on dehiscence, but remains entire and does not 

 l)reak up as in S. semele. 



DimorphisDi in pujxe of L. cegeria and L. megcera. — The pupa? of 

 L. a'geria are of two very distinct forms, one a bright green, the other 

 of a jmle gi'ey. Of some larvae sent to me by Mr. Wolfe, four 

 pupated, j)roducing ultimately three gi'ey and one gi'een, with no 

 variation noticeable in the resultant imagines. Writing to Mr. Wolfe 

 about the matter, I found he was aware of both forms, and stated that, 

 in his oiiinion, the proportion was about three dark to four green. 

 Mr. Wolfe and Colonel Le Grice also sent me a supply of L. megara ova 

 and larva?. Some of these I sent to Dr. Chapman, and of my own 

 examples I got but two into j^upa. One I killed when making some 

 observations on it at the actual time of pupation, the other, which was 

 green at the time of changing, became in a few hours of a beautiful rich 

 velvety black colour, but with the characteristic white tubercular dorsal 

 sjiots. I again wrote to Mr. WoKe, and he informed me that he had 

 never seen a black one, and at the same time forwarded me three green 

 ones, the only colour he knew. I suppose I must consider mj' self very 

 fortunate in getting this melanic specimen, although I should not sup- 

 pose that it was so rare as api^earances would suggest. It was perfectly 

 healthy, and produced a fine female specimen on July 12th. 



The imaginnl and jnipal antennce of Lasiomviata megcera. — The fact 

 recorded concerning the antenna of Gonepteryx rhamni last month is 

 not at all isolated, and perhaps, if jiroperly observed at the right time, 

 will be found to be pretty general. The pupal antenna of L. megcera 

 reaches to the apex of the wing, narrowing somewhat before the tip. 

 The imaginal antenna, just before emergence, is shorter than the pupal 

 antenna by the length of this narrower tip, the knob of the enclosed 

 imaginal antenna occupying the broadest part of the pupal antenna 

 just before the narrowing takes place. This has almost as important a 

 significance in connection with other Satyrid pupa? as has that of 

 Gonepteryx with the Pierklce, for, in the Hesperid group of the Satyrids 

 {ante, p. 192), the pupal antennee do not reach the apex of the wing, 

 but end nearly at that point at which we find the imaginal antenna 

 terminating in Lasiommata. The Nymphalid-Satyrida?, therefore, 

 form a connecting link between the true Nymjihalid antenna (say 

 Vanessa) in wliich the imaginal and pupal are of the same length, and 

 reach in the pupa the apex of the wing, and that of the Hesperid- 



