386 Mr. Forsaj^eth on the life-history of 



PAPILIONINvE. 

 Papilio Erithonius, Linn. 

 Mhow, September 17th, 1881. 



I first found this curious larva on a species of orange 

 or sweet lime tree, a large shrub with green fleshy leaves 

 and thorn}^ branches, common in Indian fruit gardens. 

 Subsequently I found them on a small green herb, 

 growing in grassy patches amongst cultivated fields. 



General colour of larva a soft velvet-like grass-green. 

 A white line runs along either side just above the legs. 

 The abdomen is of a greenish white colour. Legs 6, 8, 2. 

 Two small flesh}- acuminated tubercles on the uj^per 

 side of terminal segment, and also on the hood-like first 

 segment. Between these latter, on pressure between 

 finger and thumb, a double horn, soft and erectile, of a 

 pink colour, shoots out and quivers slightly. These 

 processes are not perceptible when the larva is at rest ; 

 they seem to be propelled outwards as a snail extends 

 its tentacles ; they are rather yellowish at the base and 

 reddish towards extremities. When extrusion takes place 

 a rather pungent, aromatic, but certainly not disagree- 

 able, odour is given out. The larvae seldom shoot forth 

 these processes on being handled or irritated, but only 

 on pressure being made. When the apparatus is with- 

 drawn no trace of an aperture is perceptible. 



The first segment forms a species of hood, partly 

 concealing the head. On the dorsum are two crescentic 

 patches, consisting of rows of ocelli. The young larva 

 difiers greatly from the mature caterpillar, having 

 numerous processes, armed with stiff hairs or spines, 

 along either side and head, and being of a totally 

 distinct colour. 



The larvae appear invariably to attach themselves 

 to the leaf on which they are feeding by a fine, almost 

 invisible, web. On removing a larva from the leaf the 

 web is dragged away by the feet, and then is easily seen, 

 I have also noticed that they devour their exuviae, at 

 least I never could find a cast skin in the cages in which 

 I bred the larva) from early youth to maturity. 



When about to change its condition the larva attaches 

 itself to a leaf by the anal feet, and supports the thorax 

 by a strong silken band, the dorsum invariably being 

 inferior, and the position that of a person reclining 



