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XIII. Experiments in 1890 and 1891 on the colour-rela- 

 tion between certain lepidopterous larvce and their 

 surroundings, together ivith some other observations 

 on lepidoptcrous larvcB. By Lilian J. Gould. 

 Communicated by Edward B. Poulton, M.A., 

 F.R.S., &c. 



[Read October 5th, 1892.J 



Plate XI. 



CONTENTS. 

 Section I. — Experiments on larv* of Itumia cratmgata. 

 Experiments on larvffi of Catocala nupta. 

 Experiments on larvm of G. fraxini. 

 Experiments on larv88 of Mamestra brasslcce. 



Section II. — Notes on a possibly protective habit of larvffi of Eumia 



crativgata. 

 Notes on the red spots in Smerinthus larvre. 

 Experiments as to the palatability of conspicuous larvte. 



In the summer of 1890 I undertook to make some 

 observations on the colour-relation between certain lepi- 

 dopterous larvte and their surroundings, at the suggestion 

 of my friend Mr. E. B. Poulton, of Oxford. The experi- 

 ments, of which the following is an account taken from 

 notes made day by day at the time, were conducted under 

 the kind direction of Mr. Poulton, to whom I was con- 

 stantly indebted for help and advice, and may be of 

 interest chiefly as confirming results already obtained 

 by him (with larvae of R. ci'atccgata and others), and 

 partly also as bringing forward evidence affecting colour- 

 relation in species of which no results had been published 

 hitherto {M. brassicce). 



The experiments extended over 1890 and 1891, and 

 are here presented in diary form, together with drawings 

 of the larvfG made at the time. In addition to the 

 summary of results given at the end of each experiment, 

 a total summary of results will be found at the con- 

 clusion of the whole series of experiments on colour- 

 relation. 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1892. PART III. (NOV.) 



