150 Mr. G. F. Mathew’s life-histories of 
on their food-plant, towards evening, and are then con- 
spicuous objects; and after heavy rain they wander 
about a good deal. The chrysalids were not uncommon, 
attached to twigs of the food-plant, or upon some 
neighbouring bush. In the hope of breeding some good 
varieties, I took, at different times and in different 
localities, a great number of larve, and succeeded in 
rearing a large series of butterflies, among them some 
fine and interesting varieties. The larve did not suffer 
much from the attacks of ichneumons, for only one out 
of the number I took was stung. They remained about 
three weeks in the chrysalis state. 
The larve feed upon Sida rhombifolia and Sida retusa, 
and also upon a convolvulus which creeps over the 
ground in stony waste places; it also, I believe, feeds 
upon various species of Portulacee@, and probably upon 
other low plants. 
The eggs are laid in irregular batches upon the under- 
sides of the leaves, and, when quite fresh, are pale 
yellow, but they change to a deep leaden colour just be- 
fore the larva emerges. Viewed through a lens the eggs 
are orange-shaped and finely ribbed. When quite young 
the larve are gregarious, but separate after the second 
moult. The young larva is dark greenish black; head 
black and shining, with no indications of the spines on 
the crown possessed by the adult larva: body spines 
represented by fine bristles, curved slightly forward ; 
ventral area transparent yellowish green. 
The full-grown larva is 52 to 55 mm. long, cylin- 
drical, tawny black, with seven branched spines upon 
each segment, arranged in a ring; head cordate, reddish 
yellow, with a long branched spine springing from each 
side of the crown; second segment manifestly narrower 
than the head, and of the same colour; a somewhat 
interrupted sienna-brown spiracular stripe, most con- 
spicuous upon the third and fourth segments; spines 
dark reddish brown, thickly branched with fine black 
bristles; legs, prolegs, and ventral claspers reddish 
brown ; whole surface irrorated with very minute yel- 
lowish dots. 
When ready to change the larva attaches itself to a 
pad of silk on the underside of a leaf or twig, and turns 
to a slightly angulated dark brown chrysalis, with abdo- 
minal spines, two blunt spines at base of wing-sheath, 
.  — 
