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ISS' THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



leaved snd profusely-flowering shrubs to the favour which they 

 formerly enjoyed in European conservatories. It is hoped 

 that,' by this publication, acacia industries, whether the shrubs 

 be grown for their appearance, their wood, their bark, or their 

 gum, will be fostered, some perhaps created. 



Every plant — and the Baron expects to figure some 200 odd 

 species — is completely illustrated for all purposes of identifica- 

 tion, us^tie ad tmguem — to the very phyllodia-tips. Each plate 

 carries some 12-14 figures, a spray of the shrub, phyllodia, 

 flower-heads, buds and flowers, stamens and pistil, pollen- 

 grains, pods, seeds, and sections of seeds. The drawings (by 

 Mr. Robert Graff") and the execution of the plates are excellent, 

 the objects portrayed standing out with boldness and clear- 

 ness. 



GILDED CHRYSALIDES. 



During last year Mr. Edward B. Poulton made an extensive 

 series of experiments on the production of colour in the pupse 

 (chrysalides) of some of the commoner English butterflies. 

 We append a very brief notice of some of the ntethods 

 employed, and of the results obtained, from the abstract given 

 in " Nature" of Mr. Poulton's lecture at the Royal Institution 

 in February last : — 



(i.) The larvae (caterpillars) of Vanessa lo (the peacock butter- 

 fly), which are black, change into pupae, which in nature are 

 commonly dark-gray, but occasionally and very rarely yellowish- 

 green in colour. Six larvae placed in a glass cylinder covered 

 with green tissue paper produced six green pupae. 



(2.) The pupae of Vanessa urticee (the small tortoise-shell 

 butterfly) have no green form in nature, but appear in many 

 shades of dark-gray, the lighter ones having golden spots on 

 them, while the extreme forms are almost covered with the 

 golden appearance. These latter are very rarely seen, except 

 when the pupa is diseased. Mri Poulton obtained over 700 

 pupae in his experiments with this species. 



Green and orange surroundings had no effect on the colours 

 of the pupae. Black made them darker ; white produced light 

 pupae, many of them brilliantly golden. This last result 

 suggested the use of gilt surroundings, and these produced an 

 even more brilliantly golden tint. When the black larvae had 

 been limited for space the influence of proximity was seen in a 

 general darkening of the skin. The pupae were darker, but not 

 piebald or parti-coloured. It would seem from this and other 

 experiments that the eff"ects are produced through the nervous 

 system (though not through the ocelli), and not by direct 

 influence upon the skin. 



