( xxiv ) 



females of DUiiia tilhv, and a series of the same insect 

 showing great variation of colonr and marking, bied daring 

 May 1902. 



Mr. F. Merrifield showed enlarged photographs of Jarva> of 

 Ilygrochroa syr'uvjar'm. The larva is nsnally repi-esented in 

 an attitude in which it is practically never seen, crawling in 

 an elongated form with its pair of long fleshy dorsal tubercles 

 conspicuously projecting. But its habit is not to crawl except 

 in the dark, w'hen it cannot be seen. All day it clings to the 

 edge of a leaf or to a twig in the singular attitude photo- 

 graphed, and is then about as unlike a caterpillar good for 

 a bird to eat as anything can well be, presenting a quad- 

 rangular form, something like a square hassock, with tassels 

 at the corners and in one or two other places; the body is 

 bent so as to form four right angles, the head and the anal 

 segments forming two of the tassels, and the rest of the body 

 forming a square from which the pair of long tubercles projects 

 at one corner, the other dorsal tubercles making other pro- 

 jections. Usually the parts of the body are so closely 

 appressed that no daylight is visible between them, even 

 when seen broadside against the light, which can rarely 

 happen in nature. Usually it also gives its body a twist, 

 presenting the fantastic forms shown in two of the illustra- 

 tions. It is then like a curled-up tip or end of ii leaf 

 damaged by frost or in some other way. The resting attitude, 

 unlike that of the Selenias, is pi-actically the same in all stages 

 of growth, and at all ages it is especially addicted to hanging 

 down a few inches suspended by a silken thread, still pre- 

 serving the hunched-up quadrangular form. Compared with the 

 very dissimilar but equally misleading attitudes of other larvte — 

 such as the rigid Amplddasis hetidaria or the thorn-like Selenia 

 — it seems an interesting illustration of the very dilfeient 

 forms of disguise by which the result of escape from danger is 

 attained. Mr. Mekuifield also showed photographs of the 

 dark brown bronzy pupa of this species, in its hammock of 

 open network of silk, very slight but exceedingly strong, from 

 the bottom of which the larval skin is projected, not shortened 

 and compressed, but pushed through the network, and hanging 

 down like a long tail, so as apparently to attain the sixme end 



