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debris over the mouths of the remaining parts of the flowers. 

 I found the larvae each thus sealed up loosely in the base of 

 what had been a flower. I removed the debris and carefully 

 brought the flower-head home, and the ants are now again 

 moving quietly to and fro on it. I think these larvae may 

 be Oboronias, for these are the flowers which seem to have a 

 special attraction for them, as I think 1 ha v.- mentioned.'' 



S t. 19M. 1911. 

 "You will have received my firs! Oboronia punctata from a 

 pupa. This was found in the calyx of one of the flowers 

 which I have mentioned, the opening of which was Bealed by 

 debris deposited by ants. I will not attempt to describe the 

 flowering head, for I intend to Bend one ; but, roughly, there 

 umber of bell-shaped Bowers springing from a common 

 dome-shaped base. Only one or two of the flowers come into 

 bloom at once, and (iviT thr other immature buds ants build 

 up a covering of the debris, themselves occupying the inter- 

 stices between the buds and keeping their larvae and 



I have now found several ulmrimiu lar\ae, some with 

 the ants in t be inters! ices, and ol hers in calices from which the 

 flowers have fallen uiit or the flower-buds been eaten away. 



Thr larva feeds on the flower-buds, biting oul a circular aper- 

 ture through the calyx, by which it obtains ingress, and 

 gradually eating the bud out till only the empty calyx remains. 

 ui-. too, enter with the larva and crawl all over it, 



st !•• >kinu r it with their antennae, and they are wn constant 

 in their attentions to the pupa too. several always remaining 

 with it, though the calyx which contained it was put away 



without anything else in a glass-lidded box. Sum,' of the 

 ants' nests contain a large number of individuals, and I have 

 nut been able to look them through satisfactorily as yet, hut 

 I have obtained 6 larvae out of 7 nests. 2 nests having 2 

 larvae apiece. I must get some help before 1 can explore any 

 more, as the ants bite, and 1 do not want to cut off the flower- 

 heads, as there art' not a great number. 1 am t rying now to get 

 a family of Oboronias, but it is likely to be difficult, as the food- 

 plant dies so soon. I think this plant must be that determined 



