Life History of Hesperia sidae, Esp. 569 
enough and quite lively, inside. They resented being 
disturbed, and sought to get back into their cylinders of 
leaf as quickly as possible. Evidently they were lying 
up and had not eaten for a long time. They were shorter 
and plumper than those I had with me, and of a lighter, 
ruddier colour. Had they felt the need of food it is 
probable that they would have wandered away, or have 
gone down to the bases of the plants where a few fresh 
shoots were showing. The norma! atmospheric conditions 
in the Hyeres district are dry and hot after May 15, and 
it is usual for most herbaceous plants to dry up partially 
or totally during the summer, sending out in some cases 
fresh leaves after the September rains. 
Larvae living upon them, that do not feed up rapidly, 
must therefore fast or be satisfied with tough or dried 
leaves. The sidae larvae are quite capable of doing without 
food for long periods in summer, and I think it likely that 
they really aestivate under normal conditions. 
This is a description (July 7) of a fasting larva in the 
3rd stage :— 
EXAMINED WITH HAND LENs. 
Short and plump. It contracts to less than 5 mm. in length. 
Head entirely black, appears rather more rounded than in preced- 
ing stages, and less heart-shaped. It is thickly sprinkled with light- 
coloured, rather stiff-looking shortish hairs. Anal end of body 
tapering abruptly. “Neck” rather darker than the rest of the 
body. Prothoracie plate brownish black. Body light reddish- 
brown. There is a tendency to semi-transparence. Central dorsal 
line dark red-brown, narrow but distinct. Several somewhat in- 
distinct subdorsal and lateral lines of the same colour, irregular and 
rather wavy. Ventral surface and prolegs light reddish-brown. 
EXAMINED WITH MICROSCOPE. 
On a lighter, somewhat flesh-coloured ground there is a thick 
mottling of red-brown, forming several indistinctly limited lines 
between the central dorsal line and the flange. There are very 
numerous whitish, conical tubercles giving the larva a white- 
speckled appearance quite visible under hand lens even. Each 
tubercle bears a rather stiff, whitish hair, swollen towards the free 
extremity, and to some extent fish-tail shape. Those on the flange 
and on the last few abdominal segments are longest. Those on the 
head are not swollen at the end. Spiracles are almost round, light- 
brown rings, placed very high above the flange fold it seems to me. 
(This is perhaps characteristic of the Hesperidae.) 
