116 THE entomologist's record. 



allow greater movement to the head in different directions, and the 

 command of a wider area for feeding would be attained. The same 

 object could no doubt have been attained in different ways, but this 

 appears to have been the way in which Hesjwria managed it. The 

 original forms were no doubt dominated by the peculiarities of the 

 food-plants of the earliest species, possibly grass-like plants, which 

 enabled a narrow opening between inner leaves to be used to reach 

 outer ones. Many forms still carry the impression made by the fact 

 that the head and prothorax were the normal ones to be exposed. 

 The large size of the head is often marked, but is not greater than in 

 many other families, but looks so owing to the small second segment. 

 An object all larvfe have in view is to obtain as large a head as possible 

 or rather as quickly as they can. Their food-supply depending on the 

 size and power of their jaws, many larvte pass only a few days at each 

 stage, rushing to the last stage as rapidly as possible, and then, having 

 attained a large head and powerful jaAvs, remain three or four times 

 as long in this stage as in any previous one, and, even allowing for 

 their greater size, do very much more feeding than at any previous 

 stage. This makes it evident that the object Hcspcria had in view 

 could not have been satisfactorily attained by diminishing the size of 

 the head as well as of the second segment. 



On March 12th a little sunshine found its Avay through a haze of 

 high clouds, the first for seven days, the air, however, was very warm, 

 and (xonrpteri/x cleopatra was seen in Cannes. At Grasse the only 

 butterflies seen were Pieris rapae (and other Whites ?), VanesHa io, 

 CJm/Kojihaniis pJilcwas, and Paran/e meyaera. No trace of Pohjommatus 

 baton, P. cyllarus, FAirranthia plumhtraria, &c. A fine Lcucania l-alhion, 

 newly emerged, was sitting on a stone ; a rather less than half-grown 

 larva of Hetcruiinnh pcnella was found about 800ft. above Grasse, and 

 higher up four old female cocoons, together under a stone. Larvae 

 of Arctia {:' jni(Jica) were found under stones. The chief use of Arctian 

 hairs seems to be for protection against enemies in such situations as 

 this, rather than against birds or for warmth, though probably sub- 

 serving both purposes. On March 13th I took some beetles and one 

 large ant-lion larva out of sand, at La Bocca ; the weather was very dull 

 but warm, and very few butterflies observed. 



Three or four days ago, on Mont Fial, I took a larva from a silken 

 tunnel amongst grass roots under a stone. It is active, about 1-lin. 

 long, tapering a little, smoky (nearly black) in colour, and reminds one 

 a little of Hrjiialiis, but more perhaps of A</li)ssa {ciijircalis, &c.). Its 

 head and a large plate on prothorax are brown ; the skin is very finely 

 shagrcened ; the meso- and metathorax also the abdominal segments, 

 with two subsegments; tubercles i and ii trapezoidal, iii supraspira- 

 cular, iv and v close together, small, vi and vii also close together 

 and small. 



On March 14th Pajnlio podaliriim was first seen, and Spihthyrus 

 alcrac emerged. Its resting-habit is very curious, with deflexod wings, 

 antennae parallel with costa, but at some distance therefrom, abdo- 

 men curled back over head. On March 15th (Toncptcrj/.v cleopatra was 

 common, and Kiichloe cnphenoidcs was frequent in the Esterels. On 

 the IGth several Papilio podalirim were seen, the first P. inacJiaon was 

 noticed at Auribeau ; (r. cleopatra was flying freely, but I saw only two 

 Antlioc/iaris bclia and two P. euphcnoides ; I captured one Pieris dapli- 



