Life History of Psmidacraea mrytus hobleyi. 711 



processes are about one-third of the length from top of head to end 

 of abdomen. They make a large obtuse angle with the ventral 

 surface of the body, but are in the same longitudinal plane. The 

 body is very much flattened from side to side : each abdominal 

 segment is slightly ridged in the mid-ventral line, the edge of the 

 ridge being outlined in dark brown. From the dorsal surface of 

 the abdomen project two large triangular processes, very thin from 

 side to side, with edges outlined in dark brown. One, near the tip 

 of the abdomen, is only half the size of that arising from the base 

 of the abdomen, which has on its posterior edge a secondary 

 triangular eminence. 



Emergence of the Imago. — On Aug. 13 the antennae and 

 limbs became very distinct through the pupal skin, and on 

 Aug. 15 two dark patches showed on the forewing. These 

 dark areas were the future tawny areas on the forewing of 

 the imago, and soon assumed that colour, the rest of the 

 wing then becoming black. On the morning of the 16th 

 I was able to see how the wings were separated from the 

 pupal skin by the secretion of air between the two, and 

 very shortly the imago emerged ; a male of the form 

 hitherto described as a distinct species under the name 

 Pseudacraea terra, Neave. 



The fortunate observation that showed me the food- 

 plant has enabled me to recognise it in the forest: it is 

 the tree which serves as food for Fs. lucretia, but I have 

 been unable to get full botanical specimens of flower, etc., 

 for identification. I have now had no difficulty in getting 

 captive females to oviposit on food-plant in the box in the 

 forest, and up to the time of writing have secured one or 

 more ova from six females of all three forms. The young 

 larvae are rather delicate, and sometimes exhaust them- 

 selves so much by wandering about, spinning a silk foot- 

 hold as they go, that they are unable to eat the hard dry 

 leaf, and die. I have lost some of each brood save one, 

 from this cause. Of one brood of four which all hatched 

 on one day, the members all seemed equally thriving, 

 when one, for some reason unknown, ceased feeding and 

 shrivelled up. The food-plant being so dry, has to be 

 renewed every other day, in spite of being kept in water. 

 In spite of these disappointments, however, I hope to 

 provide Prof. Poulton with specimens of each form reared 

 from the other. 



August 1912. 



