GIRTED CHRYSALIDS. 181 



colour darkens until it is nearly black, which in fact 

 is the colour of the young caterpillar. As soon as the 

 larva is hatched, it eats the shell of the egg in which 

 it has been developed, and after every change of skin 

 it eats in like manner the garment which it has thrown 

 off. The colour of this caterpillar is a beautiful leafy/ 

 green, the interstices between the segments being 

 velvet-black. Upon each of the twelve segments of 

 the body there is a black bar, which in all the seg- 

 ments except the second is adorned \vith six orange 

 spots. There are other markings, but these are the 

 most characteristic. 



This beautiful larva feeds on several plants, such 

 as the hog's-wort, or cow-parsnip (Heradeum sphondy- 

 liujji), the marsh-parsley (Peucedannm palustre), and 

 even on the leaves of the common carrot, when nothing 

 better can be obtained. Larvae of this splendid Butter- 

 fly have been successfully reared upon carrot leaves. 



When the caterpillar is full fed, it quits its food- 

 plant, crawls up the stem of a weed, and there 

 assumes the pupal form, binding itself to the weed by 

 a sort of belt. This belt may be almost called a 

 cable, for it is very stout and strong, as well as elastic, 

 and will sustain a considerable tension before it is 

 snapped. There are many British Butterflies whose 

 pup^e are thus girt to the object on which they under- 

 go their transformation. Mr. Newman gathers these 

 together in a group, which he terms Succincti, or 

 Girted Chrysalids. All these pupae have the head 

 directed upwards. 



THE next family, the Pieridie, is distinguished by 



