LYCANID AE. VIRACHOLA. 479 
** But it will be at once asked, what necessity could there be for the caterpillars to secure 
the fruit from falling after each has bored a hole, and thus made its escape? This question 
is answered by the curious circumstance that, after so securing the fruit, the caterpillars return 
again into the pomegranate, in the hollow interior of which they undergo their transformations 
to the chrysalis state.” 
‘‘ Here, too, we may notice another interesting fact ; namely, that the insect has the pre- 
cautionary instinct, which acts as a second inducement, to make the aperture in the fruit in 
that stage of its existence in which it is furnished with organs best adapted for the purpose ; for, 
had the larva omitted taking this step, the consequence would have been, that the poor insect, 
when come to its butterfly state, would ave been a prisoner totally unable to make its escape, 
being unprovided with any instrument sufficiently powerful to make a hole in the shell.” 
“The chrysalides are attached horizontally upon the inner walls of the pomegranate, by 
means, first, of a patch of silk laid upon its surface, to the centre of which the tail of the 
chrysalis is attached, and second, of a slender silken thread passing from side to side over the 
base of the abdominal segments.” 
“ Another curious instance of instinct yet remains to be noticed. The butterfly, so soon 
as ever it has escaped from the puparium, must make its escape out of the hole formed by the 
iarva. Delay would be death, as the wings would soon acquire their full expansion of nearly 
a couple of inches, in which state it would, of course, be unable to creep out.” 
“Inthe chrysalis state the belly of the insect is placed in contact with the inner surface 
of the fruit ; consequently, as the slit by which the butterfly escapes out of the puparium extends 
along the back, the under surface of the latter remains entire, the anterior lateral portions on 
_ each side the slit (extending as far as the whole coverings of the wings) curling up and laying 
close upon those parts which have covered the breast and limbs, leaving the abdominal portion 
in the same form. as when it inclosed the insect.” (Westwood, 1. c.) 
“ At the time the pomegranate is in flower, and at a very early period, the Hair Streak 
may be seen very busily occupied about the flowers, and I have little doubt that the eggs are 
deposited at the bottom of the calyx, from the position in which I have seen the abdomen of 
the butterfly placed ; as the fruit enlarges the eggs are enclosed, and in this situation matured.” 
“In order that I might obtain a perfect insect, I surrounded several of the fruit with 
fine gauze, but in such a manner as not in the least to interfere with the caterpillar in its 
labour of connecting the fruit and stalk by means of the web; but to my astonishment and 
disappointment this never took place ; the caterpillars issued from the fruit, and finding 
their escape impeded, underwent their change on the external part, and so soon as this 
was effected, I removed the fruit from the tree for the purpose of placing it in a mosquito gauze 
house in my room. Subsequently I examined several of the fruit, but I never found any 
chrysalide, or the remains of any inside the fruit. I was very careful in my observations, 
and I came to the conclusion that the caterpillars in this instance deserted the fruit when ready 
to undergo their change,” (Downes, |. c.) Professor Westwood is quite correct ; there is no doubt 
that in nature this butterfly usually pupates within the fruit ; on opening these I have found at 
different times dozens of pupz or pupz skins, but never more than one in each fruit. Mr. Downes 
is also partially right, as if the fruit are cut off the tree and placed ina box, the larve when 
full-fed will leave the fruit and pupate anywhere on the sides of the box or on the fruit. 
There is one interesting question still to be referred to in the life-history of this butterfly— 
is it attended or not by ants in its larval state, and has it the special organs affected by the ants ? 
Mr. W. C. Taylor, of Khorda, Orissa, writes ‘‘ Larva attended by the ant Formica nigra, who 
clear away their droppings and act as sweepers, as well as guard the pupe.’”’ His daughter, 
Mrs. Wylly, also writes “ The larva of Virachola isocrates though louse-like in shape, 
differs considerably from those of Catochrysops cnejus, Fabricius, Azanus ubaldus, Cramer, 
and Tarucus theophrastus, Fabricius. The latter are inert and slow, the former is very brisk 
in its movements, and with the protrusible long neck, small head and strong jaws of a beetle 
