206 



MR. E. B. POrLTON ON THE PROTECTIVE [Mar. Ij 



Table II. — Larvce which only become 



Species 



of 

 Larva. 



Chtsrocam- 

 'pa elpe- 



Ceriira vi- 

 nula. 



The phyto- 

 phagous 

 hymeno- 

 pterous 

 Crcesiis 

 septeniri- 

 onalis. 



A phyto- 

 phagous 

 hymeno- 

 pterous 

 larva, 

 probably 

 JS'ematus 

 ribesii. 



Method by which 



reudered 



conspicuous. 



Larvae brown, sometimes 

 green. When approached, 

 the anterior part of the 

 body is distended, and re- 

 sembles a serpent-like head 

 (of the Cobra type), while 

 the real head is drawn in. 

 Two pairs of large eye-like 

 marks are seen by an enemy 

 approaching from above or 

 the side, while another pair 

 meet an enemy conning Irom 

 the front, and these last are 

 modified in the terrifying 

 attitude out of other mark- 

 ings. (Poulton, Trans. Ent. 

 Soc. Lond. 18S6, pt. ii. 

 p. 154 &c.) 



Green and purplish brown. 

 When attacked, the head is 

 drawn in and a bright red 

 margin inflated, with two 

 intensely black marks on it 

 in the appropriate position 

 for eyes ; this terrifying 

 face is turned towards any 

 point at which the larva is 

 touched ; also pink whips 

 are swiftly protruded from 

 the two prongs in which 

 the body terminates. 



Green, orange, and black. 

 Gregarious ; but not conspi- 

 cuous until approached ; 

 then most conspicuous, all 

 individuals whipping about 

 with the abdomen and 

 everting the ventral glands. 



Unpleasant attri- 

 bute real or 

 imaginary. 



Results of 



A. Weismann. 



Lady Verney. 



Green, with yellow and black 

 markings. Gregarious, be- 

 coming conspicuous wlien 

 approached, as in the last 

 species, but without ventral 

 glands. 



Suggested danger. 



Terrifying aspect ; the 

 whips might be 

 thought to be stings ; 

 the larva also ejects 

 strong formic acid 

 to a considerable 

 distance. (Poulton, 

 Trans. Ent. Soc. 

 Lond. 1886, pt. ii. 

 p. 157.) 



Many median ventral 

 glands everted on 

 approach of enemy, 

 and producing a 

 most unpleasant 

 smell. 



? Taste or smell. Proof 

 lies in what follows. 



A tame Jay ate the 

 larva at once ; 

 Sparrows and 



Chaffinches (wild) 

 were frightened 

 by it, and would 

 not come near the 

 seed - trough in 

 which it was 

 placed ; Fowls 

 were evidently 

 frightened, but in 

 the end cautiously 

 attacked it, when 

 it was soon eaten. 



Refused by small 

 birds, which were 

 evidently fright- 

 ened by it, and 

 would not come 

 near a tray with 

 crumbs on it, on 

 which the larva 

 had been placed. 

 ('Good Words,' 

 1877, p. 838.) 



Devoured by L. vi- 

 ridis. 



\ 



