Ixix 



observation that the larva of S. ocellaius, when feeding on the 

 crab, gains a shade of green entirely different from that produced 

 by the ordinary cultivated apple. The latter with their white 

 undersided leaves produce larvae of a bluish-green tint below, 

 becoming very pale, almost dead white, but still very faintly 

 tinged with bluish -green, above-; while the crab leaves with 

 green under surfaces produce bright yellowish-green larvae 

 with a pale yellowish dorsal surface. It was the recognition 

 of the difference between ocellatus caterpillars on Siberian 

 crab and other apple trees in his father's garden at Reading 

 nearly fifty .years ago which had first directed his attention 

 to the power of individual colour adjustment in larvae, and, 

 also inspired by the late Prof. Meldola's notes in Weismann's 

 "Studies in the Theory of Descent," had led him to observe 

 and exjjeriment largely upon the species (Trans. Ent. Soc. 

 Lond., 1884, p. 35; 1885, pp. 305-307; Proc. Roy. Soc, Vol. 

 xxxviii, 1885, pp. 298-308; Vol. xl, 1886, pp. 135-173). 



The tabular statement of all the experiments and observa- 

 tions, printed in the last-quoted paper, shows on p. 167 that 

 three larvae found on crab (two at Reading on Siberian crab, 

 one in 1884 at Oxford on wild crab) were of the yellowish-green 

 tint, but that five larvae fed from the egg on cultivated crab 

 in 1884, and nine on wild crab in 1885, were all of the usual 

 bluish-green tint produced by ordinary apple. On pp. 

 160-161 the attempt was made to explain these and other 

 irregularities. At the same time further observations of 

 crab-fed larvae in the field were much wanted, but, until the 

 present year, had not been obtained. 



During a recent visit to Willersey, in the Broadway district, 

 on the borders of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, the wild 

 crab was found to be extremely plentiful as a hedge-row bush, 

 bearing small leaves with a green under surface. In the 

 opinion of Mr. G. C. Druce the form was Pyrus malus var. 

 paradisiaca, De C, and he would now substitute this deter- 

 mination for the name var. acerha, L., quoted from him in some 

 of the above-mentioned papers. The shoots were observed to 

 be extensively eaten, evidently by large larvae, and, although 

 most of them had disappeared, two ocellaius in the last stage 

 were found on a small bush on SeDtember 13 and one on a 



