32 



From the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural Histoi-y, Vol. Xvi, 1874. 



Mr. Scudder called the attention of the Section to some 

 recent remarks by Mr. Meldola ^ upon Iphiclides Ajax {Pa- 

 pilio Ajax Auct.). 



These remarks were made in connection with investigations " on 

 the amount of substance-waste undergone by insects in tlie pupal 

 state " ; it was presumed a priori that, as there was gain of matter in 

 the larval state, and loss during the pupal, the size of an individual 

 of any species " would be, cceteris paribus, inversely proportional to 

 the ratio of the pupal to the larval period, or directly proportional to 

 the ratio of the larval to the pupal period." 



Mr. Meldola attempted to test tlus theory by tabtdating the state- 

 ments of Mr. Edwards concerning the duration of the stages in the 

 different polymorphic forms of Ajax, and he found ''that there was a 

 relationshiiD, but exactly the reverse of that which would be antici- 

 pated from the conclusions previously set forth." 



The three forms of Ajax have been called by Mr. Edwards WalsJiii^ 

 TelaniDtiides and Marcellua, and these increase in size in regular 

 ratio and succeed each other in season in this order; the following 

 table represents the duration of the several stages, and is taken by 

 Mr. Meldola from Mr. Edwards' work : — * 



Walshii, 



Telamonides, 



Marcellus. 



Eggs. 



7-8 days. 

 4-5 " 

 4-5 " 



Larva. 



22-29 days. 

 15-18 " 

 12-19 " 



Clirysalis. 



Total. 



14 days. 43-51 days. 

 11-14 " 30-36 " 

 11-14 " 27-38 " 



The next table is Mr, Meldola's attempted tabulation of the facts 

 by which he comes to the above conclusion : — 



Name of variety. 



Walshii. 



Telamonides. 



Marcellus. 



Ratio of mean pupal Ratio of mean larval 

 to mean lai-val period, to mean pupal period. 



^^ = 0.549 

 1|;|=: 0.757 

 m = 0-806 



T¥ 



1.821 



U:4 = 1-240 



Mean 

 expanse cf. 



2.70 

 3.00 

 3.35 



" It is here seen," says Mr. Meldola, " that the size of the variety 

 is directly instead of inversely proportional to the ratio of the pupal 



» Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., xii, (Oct., 1873), p. 301-307. 



