6 Journal New York Entomological Society [Voi x. 



anterior warts of first segment partly over the head of the larva, and 

 all the bristles directed downward from stigmatal warts and below are 

 much paler and vary from brownish-gray to rust-red. In general the 

 deeper and more intense the color of the larva, the more obsolete the 

 dorsal stripe and the brighter the reddish bristles. 



The shortest duration from depositing of the eggs to the imago state 

 under the same thermal conditions and maintenance varies from 48 to 

 58 days. 



499 exposed May 15. 9 exposed May 17. 9 exposed May 29. 



Eggsdepos. May 16, 17, 18, Eggsdepos. May I9 to 27. Eggs depos. May 30. 



" commence to hatch May " hatch May 29 to June 7. " hatch June 5, 6, 7. 



23. First pupa3 July 7. First pupK July 4. 

 LarvK commence to pupate " imagines July 17. " imagines July 17. 



June 24. Majority until July 22. 9 exposed June 7. 



Imagines appear July 4. some larva; still feeding. Eggs depos. June 8. 



The majority July 10-12. l)uration 58 days. Imagines appear July 2. 



Many larvre still feeding, Duration 48 resp. 54 days. 



July 30. 

 Duration 49 days. 



In forming their cocoons the larvse show a similar indifference as 

 the females do in depositing their eggs. As a rule the larva spins an 

 ample loose cocoon and sometimes more than one caterpillar try to 

 find shelter within a forming one ; often the pupa is simply hidden 

 in the fold of a large leaf or directly exposed on the ground. Gener- 

 ally the pupge have a bluish bloom cast over them but often this 

 bloom is entirely lacking; with many the reddish-brown incisions on 

 movable segments do not darken but remain reddish-brown. Mostly 

 the empty larval skin will adhere to the minute discs or buttons with 

 which the diverging bristles on cremaster are crowned. 



The remarkable variability of the imagines in both sexes of this 

 flexible and pliant species, is nevertheless bound to certain limits. The 

 characters inclined to variation are with all the species of the Apantesis 

 group the same, only does every species aim at another ideal and con- 

 sequently the majority of its individuals develop in a direction different 

 from those of the other species. The females of all the forms of this 

 group seem to be far more conservative than the males. The anima- 

 tion or stimulus to variation and its direction seems solely to rest 

 with the parents. Notwithstanding the comprehensive and convinc- 

 ing experiments of Standfuss (Handbook) and others to the contrary 

 many entomologists still maintain that the food-plant might be cause 



