EUMORPHA ELPENOR. 75 



line now connected the spiracles (infra-spiracular line) and could be 

 traced from the last segment to the head. This line takes no further 

 part in the subsequent development of the markings, but disappears 

 in the following stage. The blood-red colour of the base of the 

 black caudal horn is retained till the 5th stage, and then also 

 disappears. Before the second moult, which occurs after another 

 period of 5-6 days, the larvae, which were about i^cm. in length, had 

 assumed their characteristic, tapering, slug-like form. It was not 

 observed that the larva at this stage possessed the power of with- 

 drawing the three foremost segments into the two succeeding ones, 

 as is so frequently to be observed in the adults, neither were 

 these two segments so strikingly enlarged as they are at a later 

 period. Third stadiu??i : After the second ecdysis the marking and 

 colouring only undergo change with respect to the eye-spots. The 

 concavities of the crescent-shaped portions of the subdorsal line 

 become black, the remainder of this line at the same time losing 

 much of its whiteness, and thus becoming less distinct, while the 

 crescents assume the appearance of small eye-spots (fig. 20). 

 During this stage the curved crescent-formed portions become pre- 

 pared for complete separation from the remainder of the subdorsal 

 line, and, just before the third moult, the eye-spots become sharply 

 defined both in front and behind, whilst the black ground-colour 

 curves upwards, and the white spots gradually become lenticular 

 and commence to enlarge (fig. 21). Fourth stadium: The third 

 moult takes place after another interval of 5-6 days, the eye-spots 

 then becoming very prominent. The white nucleus of the first spot 

 is kidney-shaped, and that of the hind spot egg-shaped, whilst the 

 black ground-colour extends as a slender border upwards along the 

 sides of the spots, but does not completely surround them till 

 towards the end of the present stage (fig. 21). The central portion 

 of the white spots at the same time becomes of a peculiar violet- 

 brown colour, inclining to yellow above, the peripheral region alone 

 remaining pure white. Of the subdorsal line, only traces are now to 

 be recognised, and these are retained, with almost unchanged in- 

 tensity, sometimes into the last stage, remaining with the greatest 

 persistence on the three front and on the penultimate segments, 

 whilst on those containing the eye-spots, i.e., the 4th and 5th, not 

 a trace remains. At the present stage, the peculiar mingling of 

 colours becomes apparent over the whole of the upper surface, the 

 green is no longer uniform, but a mixture of short and gently 

 sinuous, dark green striations on a lighter ground, now appear. 

 On the sides of the caterpillar, these stripes, which are at first 

 indistinct but become more strongly pronounced in the next stage, 

 are arranged obliquely on the spiracles, with the lower portions 

 directed forwards. Fifth stadium : The 4th moult occurs 7-8 days 

 after the 3rd, the larva being 4cm.-5cm. in length. Whilst all the 

 specimens hitherto observed were, with one exception, light green, 

 they now mostly changed their colour and became dark brown. In 

 one case only did the brown colour appear in the previous (4th) 

 stage. The striations previously mentioned appear as dull and 

 interrupted dirty yellow streaks, the same dirty yellow colour showing 

 itself continuously on the sides of the front four segments. Of the 

 subdorsal line, only a distinct trace is now to be seen on the nth 



