5386 Notes in 1887 upon lepidopterous larve, dc. 
of a bluish green ground colour with the absence of 
pigment and a general Smerinthine appearance, is very 
striking, when compared with the dark markings and 
greater peculiarity of the yellowish larve. Nevertheless, ~ 
there is a very gradual transition from ihe one type to 
the other, and this can be clearly seen in the series of 
four larve represented in figs. 10—18, although there 
were other larve intermediate between some of these 
(see the above table). 
The stages of this transition probably represent the 
steps by which the dark variety has arisen from the 
green one. These stages are :— 
1. A green Smerinthus-like larva with a red spot on 
the border to each stripe. 
2. The increase in the dark part of the borders both 
in size and in depth of tint. The red spots elon- 
gate along the border, and at the same time 
distinct dark reddish patches appear above and 
below the elongating spots. Dark patches and 
bands appear and increase elsewhere. 
3. The borders become still darker, and their upper 
part tends to spread anteriorly along the upper 
edge of the subdorsal, thus shutting off a band of 
dorsal ground colour. 
4. The ground colour thus shut off first becomes much 
darker than the rest by a deepening in the tint 
of the ground colour itself, finally nearly black, 
from the gradual intrusion of the black borders 
of the band. 
The further continuation of this process of darkening 
will be seen in the following stage. It must be remem- 
bered that the purplish-brown colour of the markings 
connected with the borders, together with the elongation 
of the red spots and the red colour of the additional 
dark marks on the borders, seems to clearly support 
Prof. Weismann’s conclusions that the red spots are 
connected with the coloured borders to the stripes. 
These facts also serve to connect together Sphina and 
Smerinthus in a most interesting manner. 
Data as to the third change of skin and the lengths 
of the larve are given below :— 
