THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Vol. XIV.] SEPTEMBEE, 1881. [No. 220. 



NOTES ON AN ABNORMAL PUPA OF BOMBYX MORI. 

 By E. Kay-Robinson. 



5^^ f^ff^ 





Abnormal pupa of Bombyx moei. 



The above figure represents an extraordinary monstrosit}^ of 

 Bomhyx mori, the silkworm of commerce, which partially 

 emerged from the pupa state on July 14th. It consists of two 

 specimens, perfectly separate as far as can be seen, one male 

 and one female, contained in a single pupa. This in itself seems 

 hardly credible, but the marvel is heightened by the fact that they 

 are the production of a caterpillar of the usual size and ajjpear- 

 ance, that they are situated upside down, that is to say both their 

 heads, if they have one each, are still firmly fixed where the 

 abdoanen of the imago ordinarily is. The pupa-case presented the 

 usual outlines of wings and limbs, and yet these outlines did 

 not correspond to the actual limbs of either of the inmates, but 

 were simply traced as useless decorations upon that part of the 

 pupa which contained the two abdomens. 



The larva, among a small family of six, seemed in no way 

 rem<uk<iblt', and the pupa was certainly of the ordinary size and 



2c 



