270 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



Egglaying. — On June 3rd, 1905, I spent some time in watching 

 the 2 s of this species deposit their eggs, in a rough field outside 

 Hazeleigh Wood. One specimen, particularly noted at about 12.30 

 (noon), fluttered low among the grass, settling from time to time on 

 the flower-shoots of the hairy-leaved Lotus uliginosus. I did not notice 

 her settling even once on the ordinary smooth form of the plant. 

 Each time she alighted she deposited a single egg at the base of a leaf 

 on its upper surface, squirming her body all round the flower-head, 

 apparently with a view to discovering exactly the proper spot on 

 which to oviposit. She displayed no timidity, but flitted along with 

 the greatest unconcern. On June 13th another $ was observed, at 

 4.30 p.m., ovipositing on the ordinary Lotus comicidatus, in a field 

 where L. uliginosus does not grow, thus proving that, in all proba- 

 bility, this species feeds on both plants (Raynor). The egg is 

 apparently laid on the upper surface of a leaf of Lotus uliginosus and 

 L. comicidatus, being fairly conspicuous after it has been laid a few 

 hours, owing to the colour changing to a deep orange, recalling rather 

 the tint and general appearance of the egg of Euchlo'e cardamines. It 

 is laid on the very young leaflets towards the end of a growing point, 

 and is placed either on the upper- or undersurface of the leaf, where, 

 in spite of its conspicuous coloration, the folding of the leaf makes it 

 somewhat difficult to see without a detailed search (Tutt, June 2nd, 

 1905). Buckler says: "The pale, greenish, pellucid eggs are deposited 

 on the leaflets of Lotus comicidatus." We have never seen green eggs 

 of this species. 



Ovum.— Pale yellow when laid, they soon become bright orange. 

 When ready to emerge are greyer, with the black larval head shining 

 through at top. In shape and sculpturing they have much in common 

 with Vanessid eggs, and are half-way between domed and sugar-loaf in 

 outline. They look taller than wide, but are not so, the width being 

 0'6mm., the height # 54mm. This is owing to the tapering upwards, but 

 partly, perhaps, to the fact that the width includes the ribs, which are 

 high, and raised on a higher level than the hollows between them, in fact, 

 if the width be taken across at the bottom of two hollows, it is almost 

 the same as the height. The egg is widest about one-third up, thence 

 it narrows a little downwards and tapers upwards, but is still nearly 

 0'4mm. wide very near the top, which is rather flat. The ribs are ten 

 in some, eleven in other, specimens (ten counted in two, and eleven in 

 three eggs), are very high and bold, almost like a piece set on the 

 surface, 0'04mm. wide and 0*04mm. high ; seen in profile it looks 

 beaded along the top (a bead to each secondary rib), the bead being 

 formed by a thickened arched margin, with a more transparent 

 portion beneath ; very transparent between the secondary ribs, so that 

 a rib, taken sideways in a proper light, looks like a series of arches. 

 They stand out even more prominently round the top; they do not, 

 however, continue so boldly as a ring round the micropylar area, 

 which is not very definitely marked off by a lower ribbing ; it is about 

 0-1 4mm. across. The ten or eleven ribs diminish to about seven at 

 top by joining or stopping short. The secondary (transverse) ribs are 

 well-marked, one opposite each '• bead " of vertical ribs, and about 

 002mm. apart ; the hollows in which they lie are actually concave 

 from side to side (Chapman, June 17th, 1905). The egg is somewhat 

 dome-shaped, inclined, however, to conical in outline, being somewhat 



