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



than Mr. Donisthorpe's when it died, so that the theory- 

 looks very doubtful, but cannot be simply dismissed. If 

 the theory be correct, this larva may again appear. 



The other point is as to the food. Since my larvae eat 

 the larvae of the ants, it seems unlikely that they would 

 eat the droppings and pellets of the ants. Nothing in the 

 behaviour of my specimens gave any confirmation to such 

 an idea. I think it probable that Mr. Donisthorpe, who 

 is, perhaps, not very familiar with the ways of Lycaenid 

 larvae, was deceived by the slow to and fro lateral move- 

 ments of the front and head of the larva, as it marches 

 with dignified deliberation. The movement means prob- 

 ably making a silken ladder, and also perhaps is explora- 

 tory ; at any rate, it is not very different to the movements 

 of a slug or snail when eating growths on the surface of a 

 tree or paling. In the case of the Lycaenid larva, however, 

 it has nothing to do with actual feeding. 

 My own notes and observations follow. 

 August 2nd. — Placed a larva on nest of D. Jlava; it 

 shortly found an opening and disappeared downwards. 



August 3rd. — Another larva to-day did precisely the 

 same as the one yesterday. 



August 4th. — Took two larvae to Mr. Donisthorpe, which 

 were placed in an observation nest of M. scabrinodis {see 

 Mr. Donisthorpe's notes above), and brought home a nest 

 each of M. scabrinodis and M. s. var. sabuleti, in plaster 

 nests. 



August 5th. — Placed a larva in each of the nests noted 

 yesterday ; the ants paid a little vague attention to them, 

 but seemed neither pleased nor displeased with them, nor 

 were they seen to get any " honey." 



August 8th.— Failed to see a larva in either nest, and 

 one at least was very completely scrutinised. 



August 10th. — Mr. Donisthorpe reports one of the larvae 

 in his nest to be quite at home amongst the brood, and to 

 be " distinctly larger." 



Amongst the debris from the nests found remains of an 

 arion larva, shrivelled but not apparently injured. 



August r2th. — Placed two larvae of arion in the plaster 

 nest of ill. scabrinodis var. sabuleti, one in what may be 

 called the approach to the nest, the other in a central 

 position at the moment unoccupied. The one in the 

 approach, after a pause, began to travel slowly, and by 

 what one can hardly suppose to be other than accident 



