﻿138 
  BRITISH 
  LEPIDOPTERA. 
  

  

  from 
  it, 
  ridges 
  arising 
  from 
  the 
  angles 
  give 
  the 
  cylindrical 
  (?) 
  egg 
  a 
  

   somewhat 
  quadrangular 
  section, 
  viz., 
  two 
  short 
  sides 
  and 
  a 
  wuder 
  top 
  

   and 
  bottom 
  ; 
  really, 
  the 
  low 
  T 
  er 
  angles 
  bounding 
  the 
  attached 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  

   egg 
  are 
  poorly 
  marked 
  at 
  this 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  egg, 
  the 
  upper 
  ones 
  are 
  very 
  

   distinct, 
  and 
  have 
  not 
  gone 
  far 
  before 
  they 
  are 
  definite 
  ribs, 
  marking 
  

   out 
  a 
  top 
  surface. 
  At 
  the 
  circular 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  egg, 
  this 
  surface 
  is 
  about 
  

   0-30mm. 
  wide, 
  about 
  two-thirds 
  or 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  the 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  

   other 
  it 
  has 
  widened 
  to 
  O40mm., 
  and 
  then 
  it 
  narrows 
  off 
  rapidly 
  to 
  a 
  

   rounded 
  end, 
  where 
  the 
  lower 
  pair 
  of 
  ribs 
  also 
  meet. 
  This 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   egg 
  is 
  decidedly 
  thinner 
  than 
  the 
  other, 
  0'25mni. 
  near 
  the 
  end, 
  but 
  the 
  

   rounded 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  egg 
  is 
  so 
  shaped 
  that, 
  if 
  it 
  were 
  only 
  more 
  

   pronounced, 
  it 
  w 
  7 
  ould 
  be 
  pointed 
  and 
  wedge-shaped. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  

   certain 
  amount 
  of 
  wavy 
  sculpturing 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  that 
  is 
  not, 
  or 
  is 
  

   not 
  distinct 
  enough 
  to 
  be 
  described 
  as, 
  cellular. 
  The 
  flat 
  top 
  surface 
  

   usually 
  shows 
  a 
  slight 
  longitudinal 
  median 
  ridge, 
  if 
  there 
  were 
  a 
  

   similar 
  one 
  below, 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  detected, 
  the 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  egg 
  would 
  

   be 
  hexagonal 
  instead 
  of 
  quadrangular. 
  As 
  the 
  egg 
  matures, 
  it 
  exhibits 
  

   some 
  faint 
  reddish 
  spots 
  and 
  a 
  red 
  tinting 
  of 
  the 
  flat 
  end. 
  As 
  it 
  gets 
  

   nearly 
  ready 
  for 
  hatching, 
  the 
  egg 
  generally 
  loses 
  the 
  red 
  spots 
  and 
  

   becomes 
  of 
  a 
  sickly 
  amber 
  tint, 
  but 
  with 
  the 
  red 
  in 
  the 
  end 
  area 
  even 
  

   more 
  pronounced, 
  and 
  finally 
  this 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  egg 
  becomes 
  quite 
  black 
  

   (head 
  of 
  larva). 
  When 
  the 
  larva 
  leaves 
  the 
  egg, 
  it 
  emerges 
  by 
  a 
  very 
  

   small 
  hole 
  in 
  the 
  flat 
  end, 
  or 
  almost 
  in 
  the 
  crenate 
  border, 
  and 
  so 
  

   inconspicuous 
  that, 
  till 
  looked 
  for, 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  

   hole 
  exists. 
  The 
  empty 
  egg 
  retains 
  its 
  form 
  perfectly, 
  and 
  the 
  sculp- 
  

   turing 
  is 
  now 
  much 
  more 
  easily 
  seen 
  ; 
  the 
  beaded 
  border 
  stands 
  out 
  

   conspicuously, 
  and 
  the 
  nrcropylar 
  area 
  is 
  seen 
  more 
  easily. 
  There 
  is 
  

   a 
  small 
  central 
  circle, 
  in 
  diameter 
  one 
  -eighth 
  or 
  one- 
  tenth 
  of 
  that 
  of 
  

   the 
  flat 
  end 
  or 
  even 
  a 
  little 
  less 
  ; 
  in 
  this 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  three 
  dots 
  that 
  

   may 
  represent 
  the 
  micropylar 
  pores. 
  Between 
  this 
  and 
  the 
  beaded 
  

   border 
  are 
  radially 
  arranged 
  narrow 
  cells, 
  not, 
  however, 
  closely 
  packed, 
  

   and 
  without 
  a 
  central 
  rosette, 
  but 
  still 
  in 
  stellate 
  manner 
  (Chapman, 
  

   June 
  20th, 
  1904). 
  

  

  Habits 
  of 
  larva. 
  — 
  The 
  small 
  green 
  autumnal 
  larvae 
  feed 
  on 
  the 
  

   leaves 
  of 
  Statice 
  limonium, 
  and, 
  after 
  hybernation, 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  

   April 
  and 
  May 
  resting 
  on 
  the 
  foodplant, 
  from 
  which, 
  however, 
  they 
  fall 
  

   on 
  the 
  slightest 
  disturbance. 
  At 
  rest, 
  they 
  so 
  much 
  resemble 
  the 
  Statice 
  

   in 
  colour 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  by 
  searching 
  the 
  plants 
  that 
  show 
  signs 
  of 
  

   being 
  eaten 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  discovered. 
  The 
  young 
  autumnal 
  larva? 
  

   feed 
  on 
  until 
  late 
  in 
  October; 
  on 
  October 
  12th, 
  1903, 
  larvae 
  were 
  still 
  

   feeding, 
  eating 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  leaf, 
  but 
  apparently 
  the 
  upper 
  by 
  

   preference, 
  not 
  quite 
  the 
  full 
  thickness 
  of 
  the 
  leaf, 
  pieces 
  about 
  

   l-5mm.-2-0mm. 
  across, 
  and 
  variously 
  waved 
  and 
  branching 
  ; 
  even 
  now 
  T 
  , 
  

   the 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  larvae 
  seems 
  to 
  vary 
  a 
  great 
  deal, 
  some 
  being 
  almost 
  pale 
  

   green, 
  others 
  of 
  a 
  fuller 
  green, 
  whilst 
  others 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  tint 
  rather 
  nearer 
  

   brown 
  than 
  green. 
  During 
  the 
  w 
  T 
  inter, 
  the 
  larvae, 
  in 
  their 
  haunts 
  on 
  the 
  

   marshes 
  of 
  the 
  Medway, 
  must 
  be 
  fully 
  exposed, 
  for 
  where 
  the 
  larvae 
  are 
  

   to 
  be 
  found 
  abundantly 
  in 
  early 
  spring, 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  square 
  yard 
  that 
  

   is 
  not 
  covered 
  with 
  water 
  at 
  nearly 
  every 
  tide. 
  Traces 
  of 
  feeding 
  may 
  

   be 
  found 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  leaves 
  begin 
  to 
  appear, 
  but 
  the 
  feeders 
  are 
  

   difficult 
  to 
  find 
  until 
  from 
  the 
  commencement 
  to 
  middle 
  of 
  April, 
  w 
  7 
  hen 
  

   they 
  are 
  very 
  variable 
  in 
  size. 
  It 
  is 
  possible 
  that 
  hundreds 
  of 
  larvae 
  

   must 
  perish 
  every 
  winter, 
  and 
  probably 
  this 
  accounts 
  for 
  the 
  rarity 
  of 
  

  

  