20 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



way out of their egg-shells, and they appear to spend the major part 

 of their lives within their nests, resting feet upwards, when they are 

 horizontal, as if longing for the time when they could sleep the pupal 

 sleep in that position." As presenting an ideal of lethargy, Miss King 

 records (Psyche, iii., p. 323) that, at times, when the larva of Calpodes 

 ethlius is undisturbed, there seems to be an almost total suspension of 

 motion in the spiracles, and in all the parts affected by them. The 

 caterpillar of Thanaos lucilius is noted as eating its way out of the egg 

 in the most deliberate manner, 24 hours being not uncommonly taken 

 for this alone. Lintner states that the larva of this species takes up a 

 position inside its nest and never moves therefrom except during the 

 brief time that is necessary to take its food from some neighbouring- 

 leaf, then its rapid feeding soon satisfies its appetite, and it moves 

 quickly back and resumes its former position. The larva of T. persius 

 is also stated to rest in its abode back downward, rarely, if ever, 

 venturing from its home except at night; whilst that of T.juvenalis is 

 said to rest generally by day upon the upper surface of its abode, and 

 only to move during the night. The caterpillar of Amblyscirtes vialis 

 is stated, in the latter part of its life, to be exceedingly sluggish ; it is 

 reputed to take some 70 days to come to maturity in this stage. The 

 palm for slowness in eating its way out of the egg should, perhaps, be 

 awarded to the larva of Atrytone zabulon, which has been recorded as 

 taking four days ; the full-grown larva of this species, too, is most 

 lethargic, all its movements being extremely deliberate ; it remains in 

 its nest the whole of the day, and only leaves it by night. The larva 

 of Urbicola sassacus is also very sluggish throughout its life, and 

 Scudder's description of the escape of the larva of U. attains from the 

 egg, presents a marvel of slow and deliberate movement. The larva 

 of Limochores taumas is described as an indolent yet timorous creature, 

 retiring at the least disturbance, curling up if discovered outside its 

 nest, which, however, it rarely leaves, feeding always close to it, and 

 even eating the driest blades rather than go the least distance for 

 fresher material, and is still more lethargic just before its pupation in 

 the autumn ; indeed, it is a most passive creature throughout life. 

 Some of the Urbicolid larvae, of course, do move more quickly if dis- 

 turbed ; thus Edwards notes that a larva of Pliolisora catullus, that was 

 surprised feeding outside its nest by day, retreated hastily into its case 

 tail foremost, when he opened the box in which it was kept. The 

 larva of Polites peckius, too, is reported to lead a gipsy life, wandering 

 incessantly from its youth up, chafing at confinement, making little 

 use of the loose nests that it constructs, is alarmed at the least motion, 

 starting suddenly back into its nest with a movement quite unlike that 

 of any other species of the Pamphilids, and not venturing forth again 

 for some time. The larva of Thymelicus mystic, reputed to be generally 

 as lethargic as the rest of the " skipper " caterpillars, is said also to be 

 timid, and to retire quickly and abruptly into its tubular nest at the 

 least alarm. The habit of the larva of the Indian Taractrocera ceramets 

 when feeding, is said to be, to wander somewhat, and Aitken and 

 Davidson state that, if it is disturbed in its retreat, it will run out 

 and fall to the ground, where it will curl up, a most unusual habit for 

 an Urbicolid larva. 



Besides the protection gained by the lethargic habit of the larvae, 

 coupled with that of living hidden within leafy tents, certain of the 



