SPHINX LIGUSTRI. 305 



horizontal with the back upwards. Reaumur further remarks that the 

 larvae are great eaters, and grow somewhat rapidly, whilst Rosel 

 observes that the ecdyses follow at first at intervals of about 

 six days, but that the period extends to about ten days after the 

 4th moult. Montgomery records the larval stage in captivity 

 as extending over 56 days, but Clarke had eggs that hatched on July 

 13th, 1898, the larvae going down for pupation on September 26th, 

 the active larval stage thus occupying 75 days. As to the increase 

 in size during the last stadium, Newport notes that a larva of S. 

 ligustri which, at its last moult, weighed only about 19 to 20 grains, 

 at the expiration of eight days, when it was fully grown, weighed 

 nearly 120 grains. Clarke also states that, in confinement, the larvae, in 

 spite of being continuously supplied with fresh food, were frequently 

 observed nibbling the tips off the caudal horns of other larvae. Daws 

 says that, although usually quite still during the daytime, the larvae are 

 readily found at dusk feeding on the top shoots of privet, and Butler 

 has found quite small, half-grown, and fulifed larvae on the same day, 

 and all within 20 yards of one another, on a hedge at Reading. Reaumur 

 notes (Memo/res, ii., p. 256) that, when the larvae are about to pupate, 

 the colours become much changed, the green becomes brown and 

 the larvae appear to be dirty ; they are also restless, walk continually, 

 seeking a suitable place in which to pupate ; one was observed to 

 enter and leave the earth several times during 24 hours, possibly because 

 it was too dry, for, as soon as it was moistened, it entered the ground 

 immediately and came out no more. Russell gives ( E?it. Rec, xiii., pp. 

 137-138) details of the travels of a larva in search of a pupating- 

 place, this particular example crawling 59ft. in 50 minutes. Wilson 

 is reported (Entom., xi., p. 144) to state that the larva of this species 

 moults but once, most of our authorities,however, allow it four moults, but 

 Newport says that it moults six times. Usually the larvae are fulifed 

 in late August and early September (Reaumur gives September ist-i5th 

 as a good average time at and near Paris), but sometimes they are to be 

 found in October and early November, e.g., to October 3rd, 1863, in the 

 western suburbs of London (Clifford), up to October 27th, 1885, at 

 Firle, near Lewes (Edgell), plentiful on laurustinus in late October, 

 1888, at Great Malvern, one of which did not pupate till the first 

 week of November (Mitchell), larvae of various sizes on September 

 24th, 1897, at Northampton, the earliest of which pupated on Sep- 

 tember 29th, and the latest on October 17th (Imms). The following 

 dates of the capture of larvae have accumulated : July-September in 

 Upper Austria (Himsl), fulifed in September in the Netherlands 

 (Snellen), larvae from August 7th-September 20th (Hellins), August 

 and September most years at Bremhill (Eddrup), larvae in August 

 at Romsey (Buckell), larvae in August at Southampton and Winchester 

 (Moberly), larvae from July 6th-August 19th from 1886-1898 in Norfolk 

 (Freeman), larvae from August 2 2nd-September 5th, 1845, August 9th- 

 25th, 1847, all at Brighton, fulifed larvae on August rst-i 7th, 1857, and a 

 fullgrownone at Cuckfield on August 5th, 1858, fullgrown larvae, August 

 16th, 1857, at Ovingdean (Merrifield), fulifed larvae common on August 

 i3th-2oth, 1857, at Wandsworth (Blackmore), September 4th- 1 2th, 1857, 

 at Chelsea (A. H. Clarke), -August 2nd-October 6th, 1858, at Barn- 

 staple (Mathew), larvae fulifed on August 28th, 1858, at Chatham 

 (Tyrer), several larvae nr. Hull (Young, Ent. Wk. Int., vii., p. 5), several 



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