Burter.—On the Butterflies of New Zealand. 207 
“ As soon as the larva is full grown it spins a little tuft of silk to the 
under side of whatever object it may. be resting upon, and after entangling 
the hooks of its hind legs in this silk it lets go the hold of its other legs and 
hangs down, with the head and anterior joints of the body curved. In this 
position it hangs for about twenty-four hours, during which the fluids of 
the body naturally gravitate towards the upturned joints, until the latter 
become so swollen that at last, by a little effort on the part of the larva, 
the skin bursts along the back behind the head. Through the rent thus 
made the anterior portion of the pupa is protruded, and by constant 
stretching and contracting the larval skin is slipped and crowded backwards 
until there is but à small shrivelled mass gathered around the tail Now 
comes the critical period—the culminating point. 
** The soft and supple chrysalis, yet showing the elongate larval form 
with distinet traces of its prolegs, hangs heavily from the shrunken skin. 
From this skin it is to be extricated and firmly attached to the silk outside. 
It has neither legs nor arms, and we should suppose that it would inevitably 
fall while endeavouring to accomplish this object. But the task is performed 
with the utmost surety, though appearing so perilous to us. The supple 
and contractile joints of the abdomen are made to subserve the purpose of 
legs, and by suddenly grasping the shrunken larval skin between the folds 
of two of these joints as with a pair of pincers, the chrysalis disengages the 
tip of its body and hangs for a moment suspended. Then with a few 
earnest, vigorous, jerking movements it succeeds in sticking the horny point 
of its tail into the silk, and firmly fastening it by means of a rasp of minute 
claws with which that point is furnished. Sometimes severe effort is needed 
before the point is properly fastened, and the chrysalis frequently has to 
climb by stretching the two joints above those by which it is suspended, and 
clinging hold of the shrivelled skin further up. The moment the point is 
fastened the chrysalis commences, by a series of violent jerkings and 
whirlings, to dislodge the larval skin, after which it rests from its efforts and 
gradually contracts and hardens. The really active work lasts but a few 
minutes, and the insect rarely fails to go through with it successfully. "The 
chrysalis is a beautiful object, and as it hangs pendent from some old 
fence-board or from the under side of an Asclepias leaf, it reminds one of 
some large ear-drop; but, though the jeweller could successfully imitate 
the form, he might well despair of ever producing the clear pale-green and 
the ivory-black and golden marks which so characterize it. 
** This ehrysalis state lasts but a short time, as is the case with all those 
which are known to suspend themselves nakedly by the tail. At the end 
of about the tenth day the dark colours of the future butterfly begin to 
show through the delieate and transparent skin, and suddenly this skin 
