300 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



When undergoing the change for moulting they occasionally 

 move about on the web-covered leaves, a habit unusual among 

 other species of butterflies. 



The first moult occurred on May 20th. Directly after moulting 

 the head is ochreous, but in a very short time turns jet-black 

 and shining ; also there are ochreous dorsal markings, which 

 soon change to dull brown. 



Before the second moult, when twenty-three days old, it 

 measures f in. long ; the body is covered with minute black 

 points, being so small that they give the glossy surface a granular 

 appearance ; besides these, tiny black warts are sprinkled over 

 the whole surface ; these vary in size, and each emits a tiny 

 black hair ; there are also longitudinal rows of small black 

 tubercles ; the first is medio-dorsal, the second sub-dorsal, the 

 third super- spiracular, and the fourth sub-spiracular ; these 

 all terminate in a rather long, slender, curving, black bristle, 

 and several shorter ones spring from the sides of each tubercle ; 

 the spiracles are black ; the ground colour is brown freckled 

 with ochreous, and a broad band of the latter colour extends 

 dorsally, which is broken up by a medio-dorsal series of dark 

 markings as in the previous stage ; the head is shining black and 

 beset with hairs ; legs shining black ; the claspers are clear ochre- 

 yellow, the same colour as the dorsal band. The larvae feed upon 

 the topmost leaves, at first eating the basal portion of them, 

 which hang down by the weight of the larvae, the ends resting on 

 the next lot of leaves, and feeding on these in turn, and so on, 

 working their way downwards, feeding as they go, eating all the 

 leaves, and covering everything with web. 



Second moult on May 27th. Before the third moult — twenty- 

 nine days old — it measures -^^ in. long. The ground colour is a 

 deep ashy or purplish black ; the dorsal band orange, broken up 

 with black markings as in former stage ; immediately below the 

 spiracles are very faint crescentic markings, almost invisible ; 

 the tubercles of the previous stage are now developed into 

 moderately long black spine-like tubercles, each terminating 

 in a longish curved white bristle, and numerous much smaller 

 lateral hairs, and all the minute body-warts bear white hairs 

 instead of black as in the last skin ; the head and legs are 

 shining black, with fine white hairs ; the claspers are amber 

 colour. The medio-dorsal series of spines are very short, and 

 commence on the sixth segment and end on the eleventh, one on 

 each of these six segments. They still remain gregarious. When 

 one branch is denuded of leaves, they all descend until reaching 

 another branch, which they ascend to the end, and, again 

 clustering together in a mass, feed downwards as before ; when 

 moving they are extremely active, and feed rapidly. Warm 

 weather greatly influences the rapidity of their growth, cold 

 retarding them considerably. 



