Ant-friend Lepidoptera of Queensland. 588 
tipped with fine round fleshy points. The head is exceedingly 
retractile, and maybe is smaller than the head of any caterpillar of 
similar size known; before the metamorphosis it was always plainly 
to be seen, though often drawn in considerably, but is now well 
under the second segment, which projects a little over it and can 
completely cover and hide it from view. The points on the second 
segments are a trifle longer than those up to and including the 
eleventh, on the twelfth they are lengthened a little, and on the 
thirteenth extend into tails as long as the body. As the insect 
grows these tails do not lengthen proportionately, indeed at maturity 
they are scarcely longer than those upon a young larva. It is active 
and graceful in its movements, if one be placed upon its back it 
arches itself and turns over in an instant. The colour of a freshly- 
emerged, tailed individual is dull orange-red dorsally, the points and 
tails being colourless, in a few days this changes to bright pink, and 
in time becomes reddish. The ventral area is at first whitish, but 
gradually takes a bluish tint, by the time it is about one-third 
grown this is glassy greenish-blue, this colour is not in the skin but 
in the liquids, the blue liquid also shows faintly through the skin 
in places on the upper surface—the flat areas within the edges of 
segments. After a larva is about one-third grown it is in full pos- 
session of its fine colours, as follows: the second segment is bright 
ruby-red, the third to twelfth inclusive are crossed by strong, smooth, 
gently-arched, rich orange ridges, if I mistake not the spiracles are 
in these near the bases, appearing as dark specks. The dorsal line 
and a subdorsal one are mere irregular pale lavender streaks, inter- 
rupted by the ridges, upon each side of these lines are ruby-red 
patches, so that there are eight of them upon each segment—four in 
front of, and adjoining, each ridge, and four behind. Between the 
ridges and the serrated edges, running almost the extreme length of 
the insect, is a flat unbroken area, pale blue in colour, with a few 
of the usual ruby-reddish splashes here and there ; the toothed 
edges are red at the bases, orange in the centres, and watery-blue at 
the tips. The ventral area is freely wrinkled, as before mentioned 
greenish-blue, but commencing well within and running through 
each segmental edge there is a broad, lengthened, bright orange-red 
streak ; between the head and legs are four tubercles tipped with 
yellow, and four more, also yellow-tipped, between the abdominal 
and anal feet. The legs are brown and capable of free and quick 
movement. The tails are without colour at the bases, but blue 
towards the apices. 
With these rough notes and the dried, blown, and spirit 
specimens, perhaps a fair idea of this freak caterpillar may 
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