286 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



only protected by gauze covers, so that the larvae were subjected to all 

 conditions of weather through the autumn and winter, and were thus 

 kept in an almost natural state. On January 20th, 1908, one of the 

 larvae was observed on a brown dead clover- blossom, apparently 

 perfectly healthy, not having moved since the middle of August, 

 whilst another in a similar condition was on a dead flower-head of 

 Anthyllis. On February 22nd, a careful examination of the plants 

 out of doors, and in a cold conservatory, resulted in finding altogether 

 nine hybernating larvae that had apparently not moved since entering 

 into hybernation ; they were very difficult to detect, some between 

 the calyces of the dead Anthyllis, others within them, some on the leaf- 

 bracts, and one on a dead Anthyllis-stem at the base of a withered leaf, 

 whilst two were on dead clover flower-heads between the petals ; in all 

 cases the larvae were resting with their heads pointing inwards, 

 towards the base of the flowers. On March 20th, three larvae moved 

 from their hybernacula, the others remaining motionless ; three more 

 became active on March 24th ; on April 1st, another left its hyber- 

 naculum, whilst the last one shifted its position on May 3rd, but still 

 remained on the dead part of the plant on which it had wintered ; on 

 May 17th, it shifted its position again, and was placed on a clover- 

 blossom, on which it remained for a week, and then died on May 25th, 

 having lived for about 280 days without feeding. Those that first 

 awakened in spring were placed on separate blossoms of Jjlex europaeus 

 on March 20th ; on March 24th one was noticed to have been feeding- 

 on the inside cuticle of the calyx, whilst another was observed feeding 

 on the petals of another flower ; one was fed up successfully through- 

 out on furze-blossom. Young shoots of clover were given those that 

 became active on March 24th, and on these they fed, perforating the 

 leaves, and boring into the swollen shoots enveloping the young leaves, 

 feeding on the interior in the same way as Celastrina art/wins larvae 

 feed on young holly-berries. After hybernation they feed on for 

 nearly a month before moulting, remaining fixed for some days before 

 the actual change of skin takes place; they continue feeding preferably 

 on tender shoots of clover, preferring the young expanding heads of 

 the plant, and feed at all times during the day. When crawling and 

 feeding, the small shining black head is frequently protruded beyond 

 the prothorax, but when at rest it is entirely retracted. Brabant says that 

 the summer larvae, coming from the eggs of May-June butterflies 

 laid on the calyces of common red clover, Tri folium pratense, hide them- 

 selves entirely in the flowerheads of the clover, their dirty green colour 

 and reddish dorsal and lateral lines helping effectively to hide them 

 (June 13th, 1886), when young; in fifteen days more they have grown 

 very considerably, are now of a pale green tint, with a darker green 

 mediodorsal line, and covered with a short thick coating of hairs with 

 black bases. From this time the larvae under observation were fed 

 in confinement on flowers of red clover, which they ate greedily, 

 the full-fed larvae becoming entirely of a pretty apple-green colour, 

 with a mediodorsal line of deeper green, and the black head 

 retractile within the prothorax, and almost always covered thereby. 

 These larvae ceased to eat in the commencement of July, they 

 becamo paler in colour, and sought a suitable spot for pupation. 

 [Buhl states that the larva is full-fed in autumn, and that the 

 species hybernates as pupa. This statement appears to have been 



