263 



PRODUCTIVENESS OF COLIAS EDUSA, 

 By F. W. Fkohawk, F.E.S. 



On August 25th last I captured a fine and apparently freshly- 

 emerged female of C. edusa, which I at once boxed alive for the 

 purpose of obtaining ova. The following notes of the deposition 

 of the ova may be of interest. 



The next morning (August 26th) I fed the female with sugar 

 and water, and confined her on a growing plant of clover ; but 

 the entire day was so dull, without a single gleam of sunshine, 

 that she remained motionless the whole time. 27tb. — Dull until 

 4 p.m., when the sun began to shine, which at once caused the 

 butterfly to become very lively, and she deposited a few eggs. 

 28th. — A bright sunny morning ; she was early on the move and 

 busy depositing; by 9 a.m., when I again fed her, I found 

 about 30 eggs were laid ; the day remaining hot and sunny, she 

 had by the evening deposited about 100 eggs. 29th. — I placed 

 her upon a fresh plant ; during the day between 70 and 80 more 

 eggs were laid. 30th. — Fed her again; after a good feed and the 

 hot bright weather she was induced to deposit between 50 and 60 

 more eggs during the day. 31st. — Fed again, and put her on 

 another plant, and 50 more were laid. 



Sept. 1st. — Fed again, and she produced 50 more eggs. 

 2nd. — Another big drink at the sugar and water, and another lot 

 of 80 eggs were deposited. 3rd. — She was again supplied with 

 a fresh plant and a feed, and the new addition of eggs again 

 reached 50. 4th. — Fed again, and another lot of 24 eggs were 

 laid. 5th. — She died without further depositing; when I opened 

 the abdomen I found it quite empty ; not a single egg remained. 



Therefore, from the fresh condition of the specimen when 

 captured, she had in all probability not commenced depositing ; 

 so that undoubtedly the full complement, numbering at least 

 480, were laid in confinement. I think 500 would be nearer the 

 total number laid, as I am certain many were hidden from view 

 at the time of counting each lot of eggs on their respective 

 plants ; I counted them each morning and evening ; those of the 

 previous day, having changed colour from whitish to pink, readily 

 denoted the day of deposition. 



The larvae commenced hatching Sept. 3rd, remaining only 

 seven days in the egg state, the short duration being influenced 

 by the hot sunny weather since the 27th August. They are now 

 feeding, and many are in the second stage. 



All the eggs proved fertile, showing that one pairing is 

 sufficient to fertilize the entire number of ova of this species, 

 which is undoubtedly all that is necessary in most species. 



Balham, S.W., Sept. 14th, 1895. 



z2 



