A LIFE-HISTORY OF APATUEA IRIS. 197 



them to their winter quarters, and concluded that they had sought 

 refuge amongst the leaves which had accumulated at the bottom of 

 the gauze bag. At intervals during the winter I searched for them, 

 not, however, removing the bag; but it was not until March 12th 

 of this year that I discovered their whereabouts. I found that 

 each larva had spun a little silken mat at the bifurcation of a 

 branch from the main stem, and had changed to a dirty brownish 

 green colour, almost exactly the colour of the stem of the sallow ; 

 they were now about half an inch in length, and the horns on 

 their heads were carried straight out in front ; they remained in 

 this position until the first week of April, at which time the 

 sallow-leaves had become fairly developed and most of the catkins 

 had fallen. On April 12th they had all left their hybernacula. 



On May 5th many of them commenced casting their skins for 

 the third time, and completed this operation on the 8th of that 

 month ; after this change they resumed the brownish green colour 

 which they had lost while hybernating. On May 22nd some 

 began to change their skins for the fourth time, and effected this 

 by the 26th. On June 15th one commenced to pupate, and had 

 effected this in three days and a half; on the 19th I brought in- 

 doors fourteen pupse. 



The pupa is attached by the last segment to the under side 

 of a leaf, which leaf has been firmly attached to the stem by 

 means of silk spun by the larva completely round the footstalk, 

 after the fashion pursued by various silk-producing Bombyces. 

 In addition to this, the edge of the leaf is also attached by silken 

 bands to the stem, so that it can be but slightly moved by the 

 wind. If disturbed, the pupa gives a very sudden and violent 

 jerk. 



On July 4th the imagos commenced to emerge, and the last 

 put in an appearance on July 13th. The proportion of the sexes 

 were three males to two females. Some are curiously mottled, 

 and the amount of purple iridescence varies greatly. I have this 

 year taken in the Sussex woods males which were similarly 

 mottled ; this gives to perfect specimens an appearance of being 

 weather-beaten. 



The following list of dates indicate the chief transformations 

 already mentioned : — 1880, July 19th and 20th, females captured ; 

 25th, eggs first noticed. August 1 1th, larvae emerge ; 21st, first 

 moult completed. September 10th, second moult completed. 



