( XXV ) 



yellow, and black and white larvaj are distasteful to birds, 

 Mantides, hornets, etc., as also are moths, butterflies, beetles, 

 and flies of these colours in almost every instance. 



" The greatest enemies of lai'vae here after birds are Fossorial 

 wasps and Mantides. I have found nests of the Fossores full 

 of larvse, generally but a single species in a single nest. Some- 

 times as many as twelve green geometrid larvte may be 

 found in one nest. Spiders of the family Attidee are also 

 frequently found eating larvse. When distui-bed the Attid will 

 jump away, carrying its caterpillar prey with it. 



*' In conclusion I desire to express my thanks to Sir G. F. 

 Hampson for naming the moths which I have succeeded in 

 breeding. A great deal of work still remains to be done in 

 this direction in Natal. Not one quarter of the larvaj are 

 at present known, and yet as a result of the work that is pro- 

 ceeding, new species of moths are appearing almost every 

 week." 



The President said that it was of great interest to hear 

 the conclusions, as to the general meaning of the colouring 

 of Natal larva?, reached by one of their Fellows who had 

 so wide and intimate an experience as Mr. Leigh. It was 

 interesting to observe that Mr. Leigh considers the larva 

 of Papilio nireus to be conspicuous, when its pupa possesses a 

 wonderful power of colour adjustment, as was first shown and 

 figured by Mrs. M. E. Barker in our Transactions (1874, p. 

 519). The first account of the larva? and pupie of Pcqnlio 

 dardaaus {Merope, cenea) was given by Mr. Mansel Weale 

 (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1874, p. 131). The combination of 

 many larva? to produce a patch of colour like the bark on which 

 they rest is very interesting, as also is the "homing " instinct 

 which leads the larv;e to return to the same spot at the end of 

 each niglit. It would be useful to experiment in order to 

 ascertain the cause which enables them to return and collect 

 together, whether following the clue afforded by a thread or 

 otherwise. A gregarious habit in order to promote concealment 

 by the production of a brown patch has been described in the 

 young larva? of Mania typica (Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1887, 

 p. 241). 



The adjustment of the colours of the larva of M. leighi to 



PROC. ENT. soc. LOND,, III. 1903. C 



