300 Dr. T. A. Chapman's Observations completing an 



The record, of the two larvae of L. arion placed in an 

 observation nest of M. scabrinodis of Mr. Donisthorpe's, 

 on August 4th, and of two others, given by him at intervals, 

 as follows : — 



" August 9th. — The larva we put into the nest got out 

 in the night, but I put it back and blocked it in with sand, 

 as also the other. The latter was dragged in by an ant, 

 but not hurt, and many ants gathered round it. To-day I 

 can see only one larva, but it is in the midst of the ants 

 and their brood, and is distinctly larger. There are ants' 

 eggs and young larvae in the nest, I find, besides older 

 larvae and pupae. 



" August 11th. — The one larva is still in the large cham- 

 ber, and is usually covered with the ants and their brood ; 

 when I move the cover, and all the ants run into other 

 galleries and parts of the nest, it becomes exposed and 

 moves slowly ; it is again larger to-day. I cannot see the 

 other arion larva anywhere, but there are many places to 

 hide in in the earth nest." 



On August 13th Mr. Donisthorpe received two more 

 larva, perhaps not so fresh as might be desirable ; he notes 

 that he introduced one larva into a scabrinodis nest, not 

 much attention was paid to it. It crawled about in the 

 light-chamber and climbed up the side ; still on the wall at 

 one o'clock. 



Another nest of scabrinodis on same date had the other 

 larva introduced into light-chamber. Great attention 

 paid by one ^ (larva swells in front, as described by Dr. 

 Chapman). One o'clock, larva still attended by the one 

 ^ in same place. 



August 16th he says : " To-day both are dead, the one 

 looks as if the ants had killed it and sucked the body dry ; 

 all went well at first, and they lived in the colonies for two 

 days." 



Later he sent ine the dead larvae, saying : " The one I 

 think died, it never went out of the first (light, dry) cham- 

 ber; very little attention was paid to it. The other I 

 believe was killed and sucked dry, at least it looks like it. 

 It was taken a great deal of notice of; yesterday it was 

 dead in the last (dark, damp) chamber." 



Mr. Donisthorpe sent me these dead larvae. 



The appearance of the larvae, dried up as they were, 

 certainly bore out Mr. Donisthorpe's conclusions ; but on 

 soaking and macerating them, they both appeared to have 



