K<t(} and E(K4LAY1NCt habits ok POl.YOMMATUS A1>MKTUH. Ofi 



below the oak and beech woods of the Montagne de Gourdou, and 

 about thirty minutes' walk above the Neigeas cascade. Lavender 

 grows abundantly here, also many small leguminous plants, including 

 at least two species of ( hiubrj/chis, one of which, < hiohniclnx crista-ijalli, 

 I subsequently found to be the foodplant of /'. var. ripartii. This is 

 not the only locality for these insects. They are met with on some 

 other lavender patches in the district, but I have found them nowhere 

 so commonly as here. They are lively little butterflies, not over easy 

 to take when the sun is shining strongly. After sundown, however, 

 all one has to do is to bottle them from the lavender- flowerheads as 

 they sleep. I have seen as many as half-a-dozen on one clump. 



On July Blst I observed several females evidently on the look-out 

 for the foodplant. I followed one of these for an hour, and had the 

 satisfaction of seeing hei- lay live eggs in that time. She Hew about 

 in a fluttering fashion amongst the low growing plants, settling occa- 

 sionally on a dry twig, but it was some time before she found the plant 

 she wanted. Several times she alighted upon anothe)- species of (hm- 

 hrijchis with a much smaller leaf, but never for long, and no eggs were 

 laid upon this plant. Finding an (>. crista-i/alli at last, she settled on 

 the top of a fruit-bearing twig, both fruit and twig being perfectly dry. 

 She made her way slowly downwards, feeling carefully for a likely spot 

 with the end of her abdomen, her antenna being bent towards the 

 stem. She was very particular about finding the right place, and 

 visited three or four twigs before deciding to deposit the eggs, digging 

 the end of her body into all angles formed by the peduncles, bracts, 

 and hollow cells on the fruit. At length she was satisfied, depositing 

 hei- egg carefully at the base of a bract, between it and the stem. As 

 soon as the egg was laid she flew oft' to a short distance for a rest, 

 opening her wings to the sun. In a few minutes she again com- 

 menced her search, and after awhile laid another egg, this time deep 

 down between the fruit and the calyx. The rest of the eggs were 

 deposited in similar well-protected positions, but never on the leaves 

 or any growing part of the plant. In the intervals she frequently 

 went to take her rest on a lavender flower, and so got a feed at the 

 same time. 



The egg when fresh laid is light green, but it dries very rapidly, 

 becoming whitish to the naked eye. Under the hand lens it strikes 

 one at once as being very like a spikeless, dried sea-urchin. I ex- 

 amined it the same day under a microscope, which the local physician, 

 Dr. Liautand, very kindly placed at my service. 



Diameter at equator as nearly as possible 0-6mm.; height, 0"2mm.; 

 shape, circular around the equator, but very much flattened top and 

 bottom, being somewhat button-like. There is a small rather shallow 

 crater above, leading to the micropyle. The egg is a very beautiful 

 object, being thickly studded with white towers or knobs, each one the 

 centre of a stellate arrangement of thin white walls or ridges. These 

 ridges run up to the bases of the towers, dividing the egg-surface into 

 elongated cells. The towers are hollowed out at the top. They 

 diminish considerably in size near the micropylar depression, which is 

 covered with minute cells, apparently modified from the surrounding 

 star-tower system. The ground colour of the egg is pale green. To 

 the naked eye, as stated before, it appears white when dry, though 

 green when freshlv laid. This change is due to the thick studding- of 



