98 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



but often diamond-shaped. The micropyle appears as a minute 

 depression, encircled by eight small roundish cells, and these, again, 

 are surrounded by about twenty larger roundish cells, which increase 

 in size as they recede from the micropyle, and gradually lose themselves 

 in the surface network. The surface of the shell is very finely striated, 

 ray-fashion from the micropyle, and this striation sometimes extends 

 over the entire micro pylar basin. This striation is presumably only 

 the above described minute pitting arranged lineally (July 23rd, 1905). 

 The eggs show a dark blotch and a yellow tint, possibly the head and 

 body of enclosed larva? (August 4th, 1905) (Sich). A rounded oblong 

 and flat, i.e., like a bean — is of a pale straw-colour when first laid, the 

 shell throughout, and even after the larva emerges, shining very much 

 like mother-of-pearl. After about eight days, the colour changes 

 from pale straw to a deep yellow, and from that, in about three weeks, 

 or in about a month after being laid, to a dark leaden hue, and the 

 young larva becomes plainly visible coiled on one side, the head being 

 placed at one of the shorter sides, and in this state remains till the 

 end of April. The egg-shell is stout and of close texture (Hawes). 



Comparison of eggs of Adop^a lineola and Thymelicus acteon. 

 — There are three specimens of the egg of A. lineola, and one of T. 

 acteon for comparison. The form of the former egg is that of a typical 

 flat egg (although it is not one), the lengtb is 1-Omm., width 0*65mm., 

 height 0*42mm. Seen from above it is of a very regular oval outline, 

 but seen sideways it differs from that of T. acteon in being very flat 

 above and beneath, and with rounded margins ; T. acteon being, so far 

 as its oval outline allows it, rather dome-shaped. Indeed, all the 

 three specimens of A. lineola agree in the upper surface being slightly 

 hollowed, which may be the normal form, but is more likely the result 

 of shrinking by drying, as is so common in flat eggs of this form. 

 The colour of the egg of A. lineola is that of the contained larva (?), 

 greyish-yellow at one end, dark and light at the other. The sculpture 

 is that of irregular polygons, very like those of T. acteon, but possibly 

 a shade larger, say 0-035mm. in diameter, the lines of the mesh 

 forming the netting are fainter, less raised and narrower than in 

 acteon, and are without any knots or knobs at the intersections. The 

 micropylar circle is rather larger than in acteon, and has a very definite 

 rosette form, with two circles of petaloid cells round its outer margin. 

 Its situation is in the centre of the upper flat surface (Chapman, 

 September 11th, 1905). 



Habits of larva. — The young larva leaves the egg about the 

 middle of April (20th), and, taking up its position in the middle of a 

 blade of grass, reaches its head to one side, scooping out small portions 

 of the blade, but its evident wish for concealment leads it at once to 

 draw the blade together by spinning silken threads over its back; its 

 movements are at this time 1 by no means slow, and, if disturbed, it curls 

 up into a ring, from which the anal segments protrude. In nature, as dis- 

 tinguished from the larva of A. ihiro (tha tanas), thai of this species appears 

 to lose none of its active upward movements, and may he found by a 

 close search at dusk, and no doubt during the night, near the bops of 

 the blades of grass. The Larva appears bo be a slow and deliberate 

 eater, living as such from 8 to 10 weeks, and. when young, not only 

 hides itself in the drawn-together blade, but has the power of Letting 

 itself fall by means of a thread from the mouth. It also frequently 



