174 JOURNAL OF THE TRINIDAD 



having a sort of drum at the base of the fore wings, between 

 the costal nervine and the sub-costal. The two nervures 

 moreover, have a peculiar screw-like diaphragm or vessel in 

 the interior.'' Darwin describes the noise as similar to that 

 produced by a toothed wheel passing under a spring catch. 



Gynoccia dirce is somewhat similar in its habits to Ageronia 

 feronia. The female lavs her eggs on the Trumpet tree under the 

 fresh leaves of the very young plants : strange to say, they never 

 seem to choose the full grown trees, I have only found them on 

 trees two, three, or four feet high. I can at once always detect 

 when there are any larvae on the plant, by the appearance of 

 the leaf the}' are on, which has the principal veins cut 

 so that it forms a tent, the palmate portions drooping around ; 

 they can thus feed securely from their enemies (except those 

 that know it) although already protected by the formidable 

 spines with which they are covered. Sometimes as man)' as 

 three or four may he found under a leaf, however, more often, 

 only one is found. They are not active, but remain under 

 one leaf as long as the supply of food is sufficient, and when 

 disturbed they keep perfectly still, in the manner of the 

 larvae of Ayeronia feronia. The larva? are formidable in their 

 appearance which is as follows : — Their general colour is black, 

 covered with white and yellow branched spines. Head and 

 body velvety black. There are six branched spines on every 

 segment. From the second segment the spines have four 

 branches as finely pointed as a needle, jxale yellow and white. 

 On the first segment the spines are simple. On the head are a 

 pair of projections like horns, slightly curved back, and clubbed 

 at the tips, spined and irregularly notched. There is a lateral 

 row of yellow spaces or spots, which show up very prominently 

 against the black ground. They remain in the pupae state for about 

 ten days ; in August 1893 they were plentiful at San Fernando, 

 when I found a great many larva?. The pupa is remarkable 

 in appearance (and can be best judged by the imperfect illus- 

 tration), it may with some reason be said to closely resemble 

 a bit of decayed wood, being the same dull brown colour with 

 paler patches of the same. The dorsal ridge is covered with 

 notches and pointed prominences which are most highly 

 developed on the abdomen, there is a noticeable rounded hump 

 on the thoracic portion and the head terminates in two points 

 like a V. There are just faint indications of the presence of 

 wings on the thorax. The imago is very lively in its movements, 

 alighting in the same manner as A. feronia, except that the 

 wings aie closed vertically, and it confines itself to shady 

 places. The marking of the under wings has gained for it the 

 popular name of "Zebra." 



6th July, 1894. 



