NOTES TOWARDS A LIFE-HISTORY OF THESTOR BALLUS. 283 



backwards, till at 2mm, from the front they are 3mm. apart ; they then 

 turn in to the middle line and meet together ventrally at 6mm. from 

 the front ; then, with a sharp bend, they change their direction, and 

 proceed side by side for 3mm., terminating with the wings at the hind 

 margin of the 4th abdominal segment, which is curved backwards to 

 give them more room. The lozenge-shaped space between the antennje 

 before they meet is occupied by the face, the maxilht, and the first and 

 second legs. The first leg abuts against eye and antenna about equally, 

 and extends down for about two-thirds of the space (about 2-3mm). 

 The second leg (cut oil' from face by first) terminates between maxillae 

 and antenna ; the maxilhe, slightly wider at their extreme bases, pro- 

 ceed as two parallel straight stripes to where the antennae meet ; they 

 look rather as if dipping under them than terminating there. The 

 wings are ample, but are only slightly visible dorsally. The hindwing 

 is merely represented by an angle of metathorax, not reaching the 2ud 

 abdominal segment. The sculpturing of appendages is of the same 

 character as of the rest of the surface, but only in a general way ; they 

 are covered by transverse ridges which are finely convoluted, or, at 

 least, curved or zigzagged ; on the antennae there are tAvo to a segment, 

 elsewhere they are less regular. They are just sufficiently pronounced 

 to produce an effect much the same as elsewhere ; on the wings the 

 ridges are in fairly regular transverse order, and there only do they 

 here and there look as if they might easily develop the points with their 

 volcano-like craters, but never actually get so far. These pupje pre- 

 served much the same aspect (of being in the initial stage of the 

 maturation of the imago) till winter, when an attempt was made to 

 force them, but without any effect. I then handed them to Mr. Tonge, 

 but no butterfly appeared at the proper season, and it was supposed they 

 had died. On July 30th, 1904, however, a $ imago appeared, but did not 

 succeed in properly expanding its wings, apparently owing to being in 

 a confined space. On October 1st, 1904, one remaining pupa is alive 

 and one dead, judging by specific gravity. 



As an addendum to the foregoing the following notes on the species 

 made in the spring of 1904 may be interesting. T. ball us appears to 

 exist around Hyeres in almost all directions for a good many kilometres, 

 odd specimens being seen in various unexpected places, but it is abun- 

 dant only at Carqueiranne. At Costebelle it is also common, but here 

 the locality is more contracted, and possibly in some degree affected by 

 the enthusiasm of collectors. At Carqueiranne its numbers seem to be 

 sufficient to resist a good deal of entomological persecution, since it is 

 common over a very wide area. Its chief resorts at Carqueiranne are 

 amongst the terraced gardens, especially where different species of 

 daffodils are grown. One fancies, before making investigation, that 

 this cultivation must mean destruction to the butterfly. But 

 apparently the truth is quite the contrary. Each butterfly here 

 has special relations to the cultivation carried on, chiefly, of course, as 

 that favours, or otherwise, the foodplant, and as the cultivation is in 

 terraces, there are always walls or banks between the little plots, 

 beside the numerous little paths, as well as plots temporarily out of 

 cultivation, that seem especially provided to allow various wild plants 

 to flourish. As regards T. hallux, this is not only so, but amongst the 

 narcissi there seems to be usually time, whilst the crop is still there, 

 for the foodplants of T. balliis to flourish and feed a brood of the 



