LIFE-HISTORY OF LYC.ENA ACIS. 163 



broken up on each segment, being composed of a series of short 

 bands, and those forming the subdorsal series are sHghtly 

 oblique ; the lateral stripe is continuous round the broad, rounded, 

 and somewhat flattened anal extremity ; the head is black and 

 shining. Some specimens are paler than others, and some are 

 distinctly yellow after feeding on the yellow petals of the flowers. 

 They feed on all parts of the bloom. In general appearance and 

 structure they are very like L. avion larvae, but less pink in 

 colour. 



Besides the flowers of Anthyllis vuhieraria the larvae of acis 

 feed readily on clover-blossoms both white and pink, but for 

 choice prefer the pink, which they greedily devour, eating all 

 parts of the blossom. 



During the second week of August most of the larvae entered 

 into hybernation ; some I found concealed within the calyces of 

 the Anthijllis, and others under the leaf-like bracts and also be- 

 tween the calyces. Although several were kept in a warm 

 temperature, with early morning sunshine, and during the 

 warmest days of the summer, they all remained motionless. 



During the first week in September I placed a few of the 

 larvae out of doors (these were hybernating on flower-heads of 

 clover and Anthyllis) ; the pots containing the plants were only 

 protected by gauze covers, so they were subjected to all con- 

 ditions of weather throughout the autumn and winter — therefore, 

 were practically kept in a natural state. On January 20th, 

 1908, I examined a pot kept out of doors, and found on a brown 

 dead clover-bloom one larva apparently perfectly healthy, which 

 had not moved since the middle of August ; also, on a dead 

 flower-head of Anthyllis there was another in a similar con- 

 dition. 



Again, on February 22nd, I carefully examined the plants 

 kept both out of doors and in a cold conservatory, and found 

 altogether nine larvae, all apparently very healthy and hyber- 

 nating. These had not moved at all since entering into hyber- 

 nation ; some were between the calyces of the dead Anthyllis, and 

 very difficult to detect, while others were hidden within them ; 

 some on the leaf-bracts, and one on a dead AntJiyllis-stem at the 

 base of a withered leaf, and two on dead clover flower-heads 

 between the petals. In all cases the larvae were resting with 

 their heads pointing inwards, towards the base of the flowers. 



On March 20th three larvae moved from their hybernaculums, 

 the others remained motionless. Having no other likely food- 

 plant for these larvae, I placed them on three separate blossoms 

 of furze {Ulex eiwopceus), upon which they remained without 

 feeding for a time. On the morning of March 24th I noticed 

 one had been feeding on the inside cuticle of the calyx, and 

 another I saw feeding on the petal of another blossom. This 



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