204 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



The full-grown caterpillar resembles a small caterpillar of P. 

 eurypylus. When about to pupate the larvae become very 

 pale semi-transparent green, exactly in the same way as do 

 the caterpillars of P. agamemnon and P. eurypylus. The pupae 

 in a wild state attach themselves to the upper surface of the 

 leaves on which they feed. In the breeding-cage they wander 

 off the leaves and fasten themselves to the glass or woodwork. 

 The colour varies according to their surroundings. Ordinarily, 

 if attached to leaves, the pupae are dull apple-green, the same 

 colour as the caterpillar. On the thorax is a sharp projecting 

 prominence which points forward, and from the apex of this 

 prominence run five greyish brown fine lines, one down to the 

 front of the head, two along the sides, and two along the back. 

 These last four meet at the tail. In the breeding-cage the 

 pupae which attach themselves to the glass are very pale green, 

 almost transparent ; those which prefer wood on which to 

 pupate assume the colour of the wood. The eggs, caterpillars, 

 and pupae are exactly the same in colour and shape as those 

 of P. eury2n/lus. As the food-plant is extremely local, so also 

 is the perfect insect, but it is common where it occurs. I have 

 never seen it hovering over water, as is described in Seitz, but 

 it may do so. There is no water where the food-plant grows in 

 Hong Kong. The butterfly has the usual Papilio habits, that is 

 to say, it flutters its wings when feeding at flowers, and when 

 resting sits with the wings open, the upper ones half covering 

 the lower ones. The long thin tails are not moved independently 

 from the hind wings, the apparent movement up and down being 

 caused by the vibration of the hind wings themselves. During 

 the hot weather a succession of broods come out, the pupal 

 stage only lasting ten days at the outside. In the cold weather 

 the pupal stage lasts from December to March. I am unable to 

 give^ further minute details or illustrations, as my duties in 

 South China as a general staff officer kept me too busy during 

 the Chinese Revolution to keep exact records of dates as to the 

 various changes of the larvae skins, &c. 



I notice in ' Butterfly-hunting in Many Lands,' by Dr. 

 Longstaff, the statement on page 539 that P. sarpedon does not 

 flutter when feeding. He is quite right to say does not 

 " flutter," as the insect " vibrates" its wings. Does Dr. Long- 

 staff mean that it keeps its wings quiet when feeding ? If so, I 

 must differ. P. agamemnon, P. eurypylus, and P. sarpedon, all 

 " vibrate " their wings so rapidly that the insect only rests on 

 flowers on the tips of its toes as it were, when feeding, the 

 rapid movement of the wings keeping the insect almost poised 

 like a " humming-bird " hawk-moth. Indeed, so rapidly does 

 sarpedon vibrate its wings that it is difficult to see whether the 

 insect is perfect enough to be worth catching. 



There is another point with which I am not in agreement 



