93 



coming- together in a pencil just as has been observed in Iheudargiolus 

 (see Can. Ent. lo, 136, figure 8). The ant always ended its caresses 

 by putting its mouth to the orifice on segment 1 1 , and by its motions 

 evidently found the fluid it soug-ht. 



Next day I turned in two ants at same time, and of a larger species. 

 They ran about the glass as if alarmed at finding themselves in con- 

 finement, and accidentally one soon touched the larva. At once a drop 

 ot green fiuid bubbled u)) from segment it before the tubes made any 

 ni(n ement. 'llie ant saw it and rushed to it, and then the tubes Ijegan 

 to pla\-. The)- had been quiet for fully fi\'e minutes before, and while 

 I was sitting by. but now they played intermittently for two or three 

 minutes, the tentacles fully expanding and then partly retreating. The 

 ants drank of the drops four times and then desisted, running about 

 the glass again. I let them out and introduced one of the small ants, 

 the same species as that experimented with the day before. Almost at 

 once it found the larva, caressed it gently, and was favored with the 

 coveted nectar, the tubes all the time in motion. On the 12th, larva 

 now mature, I introduced an ant. As usual, as soon as the manipula- 

 tions began, the tubes began to play, and presently a large drop issued 

 from segment 11. In ten seconds, by the watch, another followed, but 

 tor some time alter there was no more, though the ;;nt begged urgently 

 for it. The ant left segment 11, and ran up and down the body of 

 the lar\a, caressing the anterior .•-egments, and then returned to 11 

 and begged again. This was repeated several times, but the larva was 

 obdurate. This lar\'a was near pupation, and was probably exhausted. 

 The solicitations are made by the antenuce alone, which fly about, 

 drumming here, there and everywhere, the ant manifesting great ex- 

 citement. I was observing ants in tubes with Pseudargiohis at this 

 same time, and the behavior of the two species was identical. This 

 lar\'a fixed for pupation 13th; so it remained for three days, shrinking 

 to .32 inch, and made chrvsalis on the i6th. The butterfly emerged 

 the 25th of June. 



On 1 6th of June, I receix'ed from Mr. Nash a lot of eggs and young- 

 larva:', hatched en route. I searched the hill-side for flowers of vetches 

 to teed the larvae on, but finding none, gave them pea blossoms and 

 cloxer. Hut they died rapidly, and by the 19th there were only four left, 

 and these had left the blossoms and attached themselves to the clover 

 leaves, eating out narrow passages on the upper surface, as does the larva 

 ot CoDiyiifas. On the 20th, one passed first moult, the second moult the 

 28th, the third moult July 3d, and shortly after it was accidentally lost. 

 The other three had died, but after all I was able, through the first 

 larva recei\ed and this one, to get at the whole larval history. 



Lyccena AleHssa is a small and pretty species, allied to Ao/ion, orna- 

 mented with bright red spots along the margins of both wings on under 

 side. It flies from Arizona to Montana, through the mountains, and 

 into Hritish .\nurica. 



