DAY-FLYING MOTHS. 199 



and sessile, and never set on the body by means of 

 a narrow neck. But these larvae differ much from each 

 other in size, marking, and colour, more so than ordi- 

 narily occurs with larvae of the same species. 



Eventually the larva spins an oval cocoon of dirty 

 yellow silk, of which the threads are so few, and so 

 loose, as to allow the inmate to remain visible through 

 the meshes ; within the cocoon it changes to pupa. 

 The chrysalis is not at all angular, and, moreover, 

 reposes in a horizontal position. Yet it agrees with 

 that of most diurnal Lepidoptera in being rather gaily 

 coloured. 



Soon from the lowly motionless pupa arises the aerial 

 imago, whose flight, which is truly diurnal, is swift, 

 always strong, and in starts. The interior of the island 

 it does not seem to haunt, but may be found plenteously 

 in gardens at a distance of two, and even three, leagues 

 from the shore, sporting in the sunshine, and sipping 

 from the flowers of odoriferous trees of small stature. 

 But it is by far the most common near the sea, because 

 there grows its favourite Omphalea. As a matter of 

 fact, however, it prefers flitting about the leaves of 

 Coccoloba twifera, unless when employed in depositing 

 its eggs. About midday, and in hot weather, it is 

 addicted to soaring particularly high, and surmounts the 

 tops of the tallest denizens of the forest, tending as 

 winter comes on to relinquish such ambitious flight, 



