IV. THE PAPILTONTNA. 103 



one specimen was taken near Otaki by Mr. Rutherford, and several others were 

 seen. The same year a specimen was also taken by Sir James Hector at Petone. 

 In 1896, I understand from Mr. Kingsley, several specimens were again seen in the 

 Nelson district. 



The expansion of the wings is from 3f to 4 inches. Above, all the wings are rich orange- 

 brown bordered with black, the veins are also black. There are two rows of small white spots 

 round the margins of all the wings, and several orange-brown spots near the apex of the fore- 

 wings. Beneath, the markings are similar, except that the white spots are larger, and the hind- 

 wings are very pale yellowish-brown. The male has a black chitinous spot on vein 2 of the hind- 

 wings which is wanting in the female ; the wing-veins in the male are also slightly narrower. 



The larva of this insect feeds on most of the different kinds of milkweed 

 (Asdepias), and also upon dogbane (Apocynum) . A single caterpillar, fully grown, 

 which was found in a building in the centre of the town of Wellington, formed the 

 subject from which the figures of the metamorphosis of this insect were taken, but 

 this specimen did not afford sufficient material for an exhaustive investigation of the 

 life-history. The following account, taken from Professor Eiley's 'Third Annual 

 Report of the Noxious, Beneficial, and other Insects of the State of Missouri,' is 

 therefore inserted : 



" The egg is invariably deposited on the under side of a leaf, and is conical and delicately 

 reticulate with longitudinal ribs, and fine transverse striae. It is yellowish when first deposited, 

 but becomes grey as the embryo within develops. 



"In about five days after laying the egg hatches, and the young larva as soon as hatched 

 usually turns round and devours its egg-shell a custom very prevalent with young caterpillars. 

 At this stage it differs considerably from the mature larva ; it is perfectly cylindrical, about 0'12 

 inch long, and of much the same thickness throughout. The head is jet black and polished ; 

 the colour of the body is pale greenish-white, with the anterior and posterior horns showing as 

 mere black conical joints, and with two transverse-oval black warts, nearer together, on the first 

 joint. It is covered with minute black bristles, arising from still more minute warts. 



"When the young larva is three or four days old a dusky band appears across the middle 

 of each joint, and by the fifth or sixth day it spins a carpet of silk upon the leaf, and prepares 

 for its first moult. After the first moult the anterior horns are as long as the thoracic legs, 

 the posterior ones being somewhat shorter ; the characteristic black stripes show quite distinctly, 

 but the white and yellow stripes more faintly. After this it undergoes but slight change in 

 appearance, except that the colours become brighter, and that at each successive moult the horns 

 become relatively longer. There are but three moults, and the intervals between them are short, 

 as the larvae frequently acquire their full growth within three weeks from hatching. 



" As soon as the larva is full grown it spins a little tuft of silk to the under 

 side of whatever object it may be resting upon, and after entangling the hooks of 

 its hind legs in the silk it lets go the hold of its other legs and hangs down, with 

 the head and anterior joints of the body curved. In this position it hangs for about 

 twenty-four hours, during which the fluids of the body naturally gravitate towards 

 the upturned joints, until the latter become so swollen that at last, by a little effort 

 on the part of the larva, the skin bursts along the back behind the head. Through 

 the rent thus made the anterior portion of the pupa is protruded, and by constant 

 stretching and contracting the larval skin is slipped and crowded backwards until 

 there is but a small shrivelled mass gathered around the tail. Now comes the critical 

 period the culminating point. 



" The soft and supple chrysalis, yet showing the elongate larval form with 

 distinct traces of its prolegs, hangs heavily from the shrunken skin. From this skin 



