NOISE MADE BY CATERPILLARS. 201 



the claspers. These throw themselves quite away 

 to another part of the plant when touched, and 

 are also extremely lively in the pupa state. I 

 once overlooked one of them when changing 

 their box, and did not discover the poor thing 

 till a week afterwards, but although very thin 

 it was still alive, and soon recovered itself on 

 its food-plant (Oxyanthus Monteiroi), a hand- 

 some large-leaved plant with white flowers. 



I had a curious experience with the larvae of 

 Acrcea Acara. I brought home the little colony 

 (red, with black spines and yellow head and tail), 

 and for a few days had plenty of food for them, 

 but presently I found that so much chopping 

 and clearing had been going on that the plant 

 was very difficult to find ; at last it failed alto- 

 gether, but by this time all but three had gone 

 into pupa. The remaining three changed colour 

 as if they were going to do the same, but did 

 not do so, remaining plump and healthy, and 

 occasionally walking about. After some weeks 

 I found a little of their food-plant, but, to my 

 surprise, they took no notice of it. After another 



