a twig, but the case is reversed. How can a colony, passino; the winter 

 out on the end of a swaying; twig^ be more protected from the weather 

 than the separated larvae which hide in the ground." Mr. Wright is 

 a first rate observer, and his remarks are pertinent. I suggested to 

 him that perhaps the answer to these queries would be this: that in a 

 cold latitude or altitude, where there is no danger of the larvcC being 

 prematurely roused from lethargy by excess of heat, a web gives pro- 

 tection from weather, rain, or snow, and also from enemies of some 

 description. In the Eastern States Phaeton passes the winter in webs, 

 and on slender plants like Chelo)u\ which are broken to the ground. 

 The larva?, ne\ertheless, get well through the winter, though for weeks 

 or months covered by snow. So long as larvae of Argynnis are kept 

 artificially in an ice-house, or in a snow-bank, they are healthy. It is 

 the waking up out of season which is fatal to them, starvation or ex- 

 haustion being the consequence. On the other hand, where the winter 

 is warm, as in the valleys in southern California, the ground would 

 seem to furnish the most equable temperature. So the species of Ar- 

 gynnis and Satyriis go to ground and hibernate. 



To this Mr. Wright replied: " As to why the lowland larvae go into 

 the ground, I judge it is because of the heat. The valley where they 

 do most congregate is narrow and sandy, between low, bare hills. 

 About the time when the larva? go into the ground — say in July — the 

 whole country, valleys and hills, becomes perfectly dry and hot. 

 There is not a tree or bush to afford shade; no water, no grass. For 

 four rainless months the country is thus parched and torrid. It is hot 

 enough there in August to bake the larvae, if any where abo\e ground. 

 As to the woolly coat, I think it is a protection against water in the 

 wet season. On the other hand the larvae at 5000 feet elevation, 

 hibernating in their web, would be protected by that against water, and 

 do not need a woolly coat. 



In P.XPiLio, Vol. Ill, p. 26, Prof J. J. Rivers says of Chalccdon: 

 "This species hibernates socially after the first moult, selecting a place 

 below the radical leaves of cumbrous herbage, from which situation 

 the larvae do not stir for several months. I have kept them all the 

 winter," etc. I apprehend that for "first" w^e should read "third." 



The four larvae from the web and the two before spoken of, sup- 

 posed to be Leanira, were alike in that they were nearly naked, where- 

 as the other larvcC were woolly. But one from the web became woolly 

 at last moult. Whether the colony of hundreds were all so thinly 

 clad it was too late to ascertain; but it seemed as if nature, for further 

 protection of the webless lar\'ae, had gi\en them a good warm fleece 

 in which to hibernate. 



PVom hibernating larvae I got the stages after fourth and fifth moult. 

 On 5th May, I received about seventy-five eggs, and on 7th, another 

 large lot. These began to hatch on loth at fourteen or fifteen days 



