outline of the Life History of Lycaena arion. 311 



plete view of the life of the larva of L. arion in its last 

 instar, which has been such a puzzle and mystery to us all 

 for so many years. They are so remarkable, as in some 

 degree to explain why they have so long resisted out 

 efforts to observe them. 



The interview of the larva with the ant (Myrmica) is 

 not unlike in its first stages that of an ant with any other 

 larva of a blue that has a honey-gland. But its culmina- 

 tion in the ant carrying the larva into the nest is not only 

 remarkable as a simple fact, but the extraordinary change 

 of form which the larva assumes during the process is 

 astonishing. 



I have long been of opinion that the ants collect the 

 larvae of P. argyrognomon and A. coridon (and no doubt of 

 other species) and carry them to special plants on or close to 

 their own nests ; but, so far as 1 know, no one has seen the 

 actual transfer talce place, so that one cannot say that 

 these larvae when so carried do not behave in the remark- 

 able manner observed in L. arion. 



When the larva is in the ants' nest, it appears to have 

 no protection against the ants of any sort. The ants 

 appear to be entirely neutral towards it, paying no 

 attention whatever to its presence either in a friendly or 

 inimical way. 



AVhen the ants were undisturbed, either by exposure to 

 light during observation, or by undue variations of mois- 

 ture, they were always in little crowds over their brood, 

 and the larva of arion almost always had a place amongst 

 these with its head directed towards the brood. That the 

 ants should be so indifferent to its presence whilst it was 

 devouring their brood is difficult to understand, the more 

 so that I never saw any ant obtaining " honey " from it, 

 or apparently examining it with that object. This must, 

 however, be taken cum grano, because when the ants (and 

 larva) were under observation the intrusion of light into 

 the nest of course interfered with the natural and usual 

 behaviour both of larva and ants. 



I have a natural nest of Myrmica laevinodis supplied 

 with four larvae of L. arion; whether an examination of 

 this by and bye will add to my knowledge remains to be 

 seen, but I am not very hopeful. 



Of further points in the life-history of L. arion that have 

 still to be discovered the most interesting and obvious are, 

 perhaps, the question as to what species of ants, beyond 



