the Life History of Agriades esclieri. 417 



April 22nd. — ^I have now three larvae nearly full-fed, 

 viz. "No. 1," and two (of ten) on growing plant. 



They are about 14 to 15 mm. long (about 10 mm. when con- 

 tracted after disturbance). They are green with a more or less 

 bright yellow lateral line, a faint dorsal one very visible on direct 

 dorsal view, but not seen on view 45° from this. The mid-slope 

 darker stripe is just seen, and seems to have fewer and shorter 

 hairs on its front portion on each segment than elsewhere. The 

 paler oblique line above it and two below it are plain, but almost 

 need looking for. 



The longer hairs all over the dorsal flanges are dark, but hardly 

 black, those on the lateral flanges are pale rufous. The very short 

 hairs on the slope appear to be colourless, and it depends on the 

 incidence of light and angle at which viewed, whether the silvery 

 hairs or their dark bases are seen; sometimes, for example, the 

 upper half of slope is silvery, the lower half presents black points 

 (under a lens, of course), or, again, vice versa, the difference between 

 the upper and lower portions is probably due to the slope being 

 rounded and not plane, and not to any difference in the setting of 

 the hairs, etc. 



The fan point is often very distinct as a white dot, the spiracles 

 much less so as orange points. 



The hairs at mid-slope are a little longer than the others. The 

 honey-gland is rather small and inconspicuous. 



The diamond-shaped prothoracic plate is small, less clothed 

 with hairs than the skin about, and has a rather shiny slaty look. 



The true legs are green to faintly ochreous, only tinted a pale 

 chitinous browTi towards their tips. 



The head is very difficult to see, as it is on disturbance buried 

 deeply in the prothorax, at other times such portion, really a very 

 small one, that protrudes is hidden between the prothorax and the 

 food. In repose the head and true legs are sunk in a groove formed 

 under the thoracic segments. 



The larva is, of course, of ordinary Plebeiid form, the 

 dorsal flanges are only a little less separate in front than 

 behind, each segment is dorsally rather higher at posterior 

 than anterior margin, i. e. in 1st to 6th abdominal segments. 

 The mesothorax overhangs the prothorax in the usual Avay. 



The history of the ten larvae placed on a growing plant 

 on Feb. 28th is chiefly of interest, or was to me, as illustrat- 

 ing the facility with which the larva could hide itself on 

 a plant growing in a flower-pot, and not therefore of large 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1915. — PARTS III, IV. (JUNE) E E 



