SPHINGWJ£. 39 



division of each segment, a black, or green-black bar con- 

 taining two large white, greenish, or pale yellow spots, the 

 upper spot round or oval, the lower ovate, squared or elongated, 

 these pale spots with their black surrounding bars being the 

 most striking markings upon the larva. Behind these, upon 

 each segment, is usually a broadly wedge-shaped reddish or 

 yellowish bar. Feet red. 



But in some cases all the usual crimson markings are green, 

 except that the broad subspiracular stripe is pale yellow ; or 

 the head, horn, dorsal line, and feet, only, are crimson, the 

 side markings yellow and the spots white. The variations in 

 colour are great, but the markings appear to be sufficiently 

 constant and reliable, and to be assumed very early in the 

 larval life. (Mainly from Buckler — description and figures.) 



July, August, and September on Euphorlia paralias, 

 E. Portlandica, and E. cyparissias ; extremely fond of the 

 acrid juice which flows from the wounded plant, also devour- 

 ing the whole plant — flowers, seed-vessels, leaves, and even 

 stalks where sufficiently tender, biting them off to the level 

 of the sand. Mr. Stainton says, on the authority of Mr. 

 Melhuish, that when a larva has finished a plant it rambles 

 about until it finds another to its taste, then commences at 

 the lower leaves, although old and covered with sand, devours 

 them all before proceeding to climb the stem, and so clears 

 all before it. He also says that the seed-vessels are taken 

 between its front legs and held close to its mouth, " like a 

 monkey with an apple," until devoured. 



Pupa thin-skinned, stout, rounded, but with the head 

 bluntly angulated in front, and the thoracic portion depressed 

 in that part. Colour brown, segments and wing-cases faintly 

 striped with darker brown. 



In a cocoon of silk and sand beneath the surface of the 

 sandy places at the sea-side, in which its usual food-plant grows. 

 In pupa through the winter, and sometimes remaining in that 

 condition through a second winter, while in other rare cases 



