278 Transactions.—Zoology. 
had also two spinous processes near its tail, which were three lines long 
and soft. The larve were all very active, and kept incessantly moving 
their long flexible antennæ, or feelers, in all directions; in this respect 
more resembling those of a wasp or hornet, or some irascible perfect insect. 
On the 27th January, the biggest larva (No. 1) commenced spinning a 
kind of fine web, by which it suspended itself by the tail only, and with no 
silky band aroundits body, in a box with a glass top, in which I kept them. 
The second large one (No. 2) did the same on the following day, January 
28th, while the small one (No. 3), which I saw was not fully matured (and 
was apparently passing an uncomfortable kind of life, through its not 
having any proper food), did not enter into its pupa state until the 31st of 
January, or early on the 1st of February. 
No. 1 emerged from its pupa state on the 15th of February; No. 2 on 
February 16th; and No. 8 on February 18th, being also imperfectly 
developed and of smaller size ; so that 19-20 days is the time taken for its 
transformation, from its entering into the pupa state and its emerging a 
perfect insect. 
The pupa was an elegant object, being 10-11 lines long and 6 lines wide 
(at its widest part), smooth, and of a pale pea-green colour, somewhat resem- 
bling in outline a small acorn in its cup, the stem of the cup (or calyx) 
being the produced point and the web by which it was suspended. Around 
the lower part of the pupa (as hanging) was a row of small circular dots, of 
a pale gold colour, having a metallic glistening appearance ; while around 
the pupa in its widest part, and standing out a little from it, was a ridged 
crest or band, porcated towards the edge, which was crenulated; this, 
above, had also that metallic glistening appearance, while underneath, and 
seen from below, it was intensely black. 
The accompanying wood-cut represents (a) the 
pupa, natural size, and (b) the ridged band, seen 
from below, magnified. 
I have not unfrequently seen an ear-ring of green- 
stone worn by the Maoris of exactly the same hue of 
green as these pups. 
But, if I was pleased with the elegant and unique 
appearance of the chrysalis, I was much more so with 
what I unexpectedly saw afterwards. I had watched 
them pretty narrowly, and when I found that No. 1 had quitted its pupa 
state on the 15th February, I watehed No. 2 closely, and on the day after 
(the 16th) I was rewarded and gratified in seeing the perfect insect break 
forth into active life! I gazed with astonishment, and was almost spell- 
bound—rivetted, as it were, for half-an-hour; and never have I seen a more 
interesting living gorgeous spectacle—one which I can never forget. 
