782 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVII^ 



any pupa from some moth-chrysalides. It is, however, worth nothing 

 that the proboscis of the pupa of Gangara tliyrsis is of abnormal length, 

 being free beyond the wings and curled up under the ventrum, though 

 even then surpassing the whole length of the abdomen ; measuring 

 when stretched out 47 mm. from the base at head to the end, while 

 the free portion alone measures 30 mm . , the length of the pupa being 

 35 mm. ! In this particular insect, also, there is another peculiarity 

 which is not comm^on in the family and that is the presence of a sound 

 producing adaptation. The pupa lies inside a roomy, compact 

 tube made of a spirally twisted portion of the leaf, and, when the 

 tube is touched roughly, rattles itself violently inside, producing a 

 loud, rustling noise, accentuated by a hissing sound having its origin 

 in this adaptation. The mechanism is fully described under the life- 

 history of the species ; it is sufficient to state here that it is concerned 

 with the proboscis and the abdominal segment next the wing-end. 

 Other genera have the proboscis free at the end too, as, for example, 

 Matapa^ Celwnorrhinus, Sancus and others, although it is never 

 anywhere as long as that of Gangara. Sound producing mechanisms 

 have not been noticed in any other skipper in any stage of growth or 

 evolution. The spiracles of the second segment are sometimes cha- 

 racterized by being protected (?) by small, though prominent risings 

 on the margins of segments 2 and 3, generally the latter. These 

 " expansions " as they have been designated, are of considerable 

 value for the identification of species, being varied in shape, size and 

 colour. They are found in the genera Caprona, Odontoptilum and 

 others. The colour of the spiracules, the colour of the pupa generally, 

 the production or not beyond the wings of the proboscis, the presence 

 or not and the shape of the " boss " or " beak " between the eyes on 

 the head, are all of considerable generic value though they are of very 

 little use for the differentiation of higher groups. 



Although practically all the skippers mentioned in these papers 

 have had their larvae and pupse drawn and painted, the funds at the 

 disposal of the Bombay Natural History Society are not sufficient 

 to allow of their being published ; neither is there any prospect of 

 this ever being possible for the Society to accomplish. However, 

 S3me were pictured many years ago in a paper, published in the 

 Journal, written by J. Davidson of the I. C. S. and the late and very 

 sincerely lamented EHA(E. H. Aitken) of inimitable literary fame 

 and the author. (A reference to it would be, perhaps, useful to enthu- 

 siastic enquiries.) It is in two parts entitled Larva? and Pupce of 

 Butterflies by EH A and J. Davidson alone and " The Butterflies of the 

 North Kanara District in which the author collaborated. The first 

 appeared in this Journal, volume V, pages 260 and 349 of the year 

 1890 ; the second in four instalments : volume X, page 237 ; pages 

 372 and 568 in 1896 ; and pages 22 of volume IX in 1917 ; and deal 

 with all the families of butterflies — perhaps the papers should have 



