87 



chamber, and we have no doubt a tolerably adequate 

 means of protection. Not only do these circumstances 

 protect the larva, but it becomes immediately aware of the 

 near approach of an intruder by the tremor of the surround- 

 ing web, and can prepare accordingly. When the larva is 

 full fed it spins a beautiful, pure white cocoon in the cylin- 

 drical tube of its web, and in a few days turns to a pupa. 

 The two ends of this cocoon are shaped like the exit of that 

 of Saturnia pavonia, and at the time of pupation a most 

 curious circumstance occurs in that the larval skin, discarded 

 by the pupa, is thrust out of one end of the cocoon. How 

 this is done has not been ascertained. Can it be that the 

 larva before pupation places itself in one of the ' bottle ' 

 necks, and in the change the wriggling action works out the 

 old skin and works the pupa into the body of the cocoon, or 

 does the pupa, after discarding the skin, move and gradually 

 push out the old garment ? In every larva noted the old 

 skin was thus pushed out at pupation. One cocoon was 

 opened, with the idea that perhaps the larva had not 

 pupated, but had only changed its skin, and was hibernating 

 as a larva, changing to pupa in the spring ; but the pupa 

 was found fully formed, and with its head towards the other 

 ' bottle ' neck. What is the reason of this extrusion of the 

 old skin does not seem apparent, nor do I know of any 

 similar case. Stainton's figure of the leaf, etc. (" Nat. Hist. 

 Tin.," Vol. xi, PL 2, figs. 16, 26), does not give one an idea 

 of the real beauty of the web, but only the appearance of the 

 denuded leaf, with a larva in a young stage before it required 

 the intricate contrivances described above." 



Mr. Turner also exhibited the following varietal forms : — ■ 

 Mclanargia galatea, two specimens of var. leucomelas, female, 

 in which the underside of the hind wings was of an uniform 

 coloration without markings, only the shading of the upper 

 side being apparent, taken in August, 1905, at Gavarnie, 

 Pyrenees; Aricia agcstis (astrarche), a specimen of var. 

 alpina, a small Alpine male form, uniformly deep black on the 

 upper side of the wings, without any orange spots, from St. 

 Moritz, Engadine, August, 1907; Abraxas grossulariata, a 

 specimen with but few traces of yellow on the fore wings (its 

 place being taken by black scales), and with the black 

 markings more or less extended and coalesced ; Polyommatus 

 teams, several female specimens of the blue aberration, ab. 

 clara, from Effingham ; Eupithecia oblongata {centaur eat a), a 

 specimen of ab. centralisata ? in which all the markings were 

 much paler or even obsolete — bred from golden-rod ; Mala- 



