218 [March, 



The egg is laid singly, on the under-side of the leaves of various species of 

 Asclepias, more particularly the A. curassavica, a very handsome, tall, upright- 

 growing plant, with willow-like leaves and corymbs of showy orange and scarlet! 

 flowers, every part being full of an acrid, foetid, and powerfully emetic milky juiceJ 

 It is about one-twentieth of an inch long by one-thirtieth in diameter, in shape 

 nearly cylindrical for half its length, then tapering to a somewhat obtuse point, and 

 with a flat base ; its form may perhaps best be compared to one of the projectiles 

 for modern rifled guns, known as " Palliser shot." Its surface is sculptured with: 

 about 22 strongly carinate longitudinal ribs, between which is a rather larger number 

 of more delicate transverse ridges, and its colour is a pale-greenish yellow. 



In four or five days to a week (varying with the time of year) the little larva 

 emerges, and at once falls to work on the flowers and buds of its food-plant, proceeding 

 to the leaves as it grows larger. In three weeks it is full-fed, and is then a very 

 handsome and conspicuous creature, feeding quite exposed, and often stripping thei 

 Asclepias to the bare stalks. 



The full-grown larva is about two inches in length, rather stout, and nearly' 

 cylindrical in form, the head and second segment, however, being considerably}; 

 smaller than the succeeding ones. On the dorsal surface of the 3rd segment is ^i 

 pair of slender, fleshy, slightly mobile black filaments, nearly half-an-inch long, ana<j 

 a similar but somewhat smaller pair on the 12th segment. The head is yellow, withl 

 two concentric Q-shaped black markings on the face : the mouth-parts, legs, andi 

 claspers sliining black. The body is regularly annulated with black, opaque white,, 

 and bright gamboge-yellow, arranged as follows : — The front and hind-margins of 

 segments 3 to 12 yellow, with a narrow transverse black band reaching the spiraculah 

 region : the middle part of the segment white, with a broad, clearly defined blaclii| 

 band extending completely round the body, and including the black spiracles and( 

 the claspers, above the first four pairs of which is a rather large white spot, slightly; 

 tinged with yellow. The second and thirteenth segments have no white markings, ji 



The pupa is suspended by the tail among the leaves of its food-plant, or tob 

 neighbouring objects, and is one of the most beautiful I have seen. Its shape isi 

 very short and " dumpy " with no prominent angles, and abruptly truncate at either!: 

 end, the abdominal end especially being nearly hemispherical. The colour is ai 

 bright translucent emerald-green, with a narrow transverse black ridge on the hinder- 

 edge of the third abdominal segment, bordered behind by a narrow, brilliantly; 

 gilded line : on the thoracic segments and wing-cases are several minute tubercles of.» 

 the brightest golden hue. 



This stage lasts from fourteen to twenty days, the colours of the imago, just^j 

 before disclosure, being very plainly visible through the thin translucent integument, t 

 It will thus be seen that, in Peru, the insect passes through all its stages in little 1 

 more than six weeks, and there is a succession of probably seven or eight broods 1 

 throughout the year. Beyond the tropics, the annual number of broods is of course J 

 less, though, according to Mr. Scudder, there are three or four in the warmer parts t 

 of the United States : but at its northern limit, it is probably only single-brooded. 



Both larva and imago emit a faint and peculiar odour, which becomes strongi 

 and disagreeable when several larvae are shut up in a close box. Like all thei 

 Banaidce, the insect, in all its stages appears to be distasteful to every living creature. 



