NOTES TOWARDS A LIFE-HISTORY OF THESTOR BALLUS. 281 



which is dark, then an oblique pale band, interrupted by a fine vertical 

 (dark) line behind the spiracle, a certain rather colourless area continues 

 upwards in front of the red upper surface of the marginal flange, and so 

 makes the pale area below the dark stripe essentially a pale oblique 

 stripe in most attitudes. In one larva, the front portion of this, which 

 almost includes the spiracle, has the aspect of the tail of a comet 

 extending upwards, the spiracle being a black nucleus. In some 

 attitudes the sulcus between the subspiracular and marginal flanges is 

 quite straightened out, the slope from the" subspiracular to the prolegs 

 being a regular slope, but usually the marginal flange appears tis a 

 definite fulness. The 7th and 8th abdominal segments are as already 

 described. The subspiracular flange being here bent up dorsally and 

 bright red, now with a transparent margin. 



June 12th. — The third larva (youngest) is still as at last note (June 

 8th), but the two others have been eating until to-day, and seem now to be 

 really fullfed, previously they may have been fuUgrown, but have cer- 

 tainly eaten a deal since, without getting much fatter, and have no doubt 

 replaced watery fluid by nutrient matter. These two are now getting 

 greener and paler, the red colour largely fading. The red of the patches 

 above lateral flange of the 1st and 2nd thoracic, and of dorsa of 7th, 

 8th, and 9th abdominal, segments, is no longer of a chocolate tint, but 

 rosy-pink. The dorsal lines have not faded much, and the chocolate 

 stripes are still dark, but the pink tops of the flange are now mere 

 scraps of colour, and the rest of the dark colour having faded the slopes 

 are chiefly greenish, giving the larva rather a washed-out look. 



June 16th. — These two larv?e continued eating till yesterday, when 

 they appear to have ceased. They are still full size, and are lazying 

 about, without apparently thinking of pupating (weather very cold and 

 damp). Towards mid-day one of these was found curled up in a curious 

 ball, utterly unlike any attitude before observed. Though somewhat 

 disturbed before accurate observation was suggested, it was found to 

 be, as it were, climbing over its own back, an attitude very common in 

 larvae that often and easily curl up, viz., with the head on the back of 

 the posterior abdominal segments, but one of great difficulty in such a 

 short, thick larva as this. It occurs to question whether it is not 

 attempting to reach (or, before disturbance, had actually reached) the 

 glandular opening in back of 7th abdominal. This question is 

 suggested by Mr. Powell's statement that his larva° have not done 

 well, and that he thinks it is, perhaps, because they have not been 

 attended by ants, as they probably were in their natural habitat. The 

 larvfP are now very decidedly green above and below, with some 

 washed-out brown and pink markings, but no yellow and no brown or 

 pink where these were previously mere shadings. 



June 19th. — Are nibbling a little, not attempting pupation ; are 

 greener than ever, making the black spiracles very conspicuous ; are 

 also much thinner, though not shorter. The cold weather probably 

 does not agree with them (below 60° F.). 



Pupation. — August 15th. — The two largest or, rather, most mature 

 larvK were left perforce, after last entry (June 19th), to their fate. 

 Believing that they were unhappy for want of access to a dry place 

 (under a stone probably) to pupate in, they were put with an oak- 

 leaf or two into a small cardboard box, and left on the mantelshelf. How 

 long they continued unhappy does not appear, but, on August 1st, they 



