8 BBITISH BUTTEEFLIES. 



of an inch in length, commencing to feed again in the spring and 

 being full-fed in early May, thus following closely the usual habits 

 of the larvae of the Palaearctic species. The larvae of Rumicia phlaeas 

 are said to show some variation in the size of the larvae in hybernation, 

 for Prideaux observes that the larvae hybernate at different ages and 

 feed in mild weather, but Buckler says that the third (or fourth) instar 

 is usually the hybernating one, whilst Chapman notes that they appear 

 to hybernate when about 4mm. long and 2mm. thick. It is un- 

 doubtedly true that larvae well-placed feed up very rapidly in the 

 spring, and are fullfed almost before others have thrown off their 

 lethargy. Schneider also asserts that, at Tromso, the larvae hybernate 

 at various ages and that this accounts for the long drawn-out period 

 of the flight of the only brood that occurs in the north of Scandinavia. 

 We suspect that largely it is rather a matter of commencing to feed 

 early and feeding up rapidly rather than any difference in the hyber- 

 nating age. 



CHAPTER II. 



FAMILY HABITS IN BUTTEKFLY LARVAE THE URBICOLIDS. 



The early stages of the Urbicolids or Skippers are little known, 

 although the broad features of the life-histories of our few British 

 species have been moderately well worked out, as have also those of a 

 certain number of the Palaearctic and Nearctic species ; but there are 

 many exotic groups of which practically nothing has been recorded, 

 and our remarks, therefore, refer largely to a comparatively few 

 Palaearctic and Nearctic species, although the number of tropical and 

 subtropical species is very great. 



In looking at the larval habits, as we know them, the skippers 

 would appear to divide into two very distinct and widely- separated 

 groups on the food-habit, one very large section being grass-feeders, 

 the other, perhaps even larger, feeders on rosaceous, malvaceous, legu- 

 minous, and other low-growing plants belonging to various natural 

 orders. These, so far as our British species are concerned, divide into 

 (1) Adopaea lineola, A. fiava, Thymelicus acteon, Auyiades sylvanus, 

 Urbicola comma, and Cydopides palaemon. (2) Hesperia malvae and 

 Nisoniades tayes. It will be seen from this that the grass-feeding- 

 larvae are referable to the Thymelicine, Urbicoline, and Cyclopidine 

 groups, whilst the true Hesperiines affect foodplants of other natural 

 orders. This appears to be also generally true of the Palaearctic and 

 Nearctic species, but our knowledge of the exotic skippers, as far as 

 details of life-history are concerned, do not allow us to judge whether 

 it is true also of these, although there are suggestions that, if not 

 absolute grass-feeders, the Urbicolid section prefers to keep to mono- 

 cotyledonous plants. Speaking of the general food-habit of the 

 Nearctic Hesperiines, Scudder says (p. 1375) : " The caterpillars 

 generally feed upon Leyuminosae, but also upon a variety of other 

 angiosperms, and live in horizontal nests formed by bending over a 

 portion of a leaf, and fastening it to the rest by distant broad bands of 



