344 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



they are bounded by distinct, heavy, greatly elevated walls, thickened at the 

 junction of several cells ; the surface within the cells is shallowly concave, and 

 marked by delicate, excessively tortuous, lines, covering the whole area, and giving 

 it the appearance of frosted glass. Micropyle rosette •12mm. in diameter, 

 made up of little lenticular cells, about -01mm. in diameter. Colour very delicate 

 pale green, the walls of the cells white or hoary. Height -29mm., breadth -62mm. 

 Compared with the egg of phlaeas, the egg of hypophlaeas agrees entirely in size 

 and proportions with that of phlaeas, but the surface is more rugose, the rugosities 

 more connected in tortuous lines, and are also slightly more pronounced in hypo- 

 phlaeas than in phlaeas, besides which, the cells in our species are slightly smaller, 

 and consequently more numerous. In making its exit, the larva eats only the 

 summit of the egg, where the pits are small and separated by thin walls. 

 Oviposition. — When laying her eggs the female flies to a plant of sorrel, remains 

 nearly or quite still, often for two minutes or more, and then walks down the 

 plant, moving this side and that, in search for a suitable spot, until finally, 

 turning entirely around and curving the body downward, she deposits a single 

 egg ; this occupies about three seconds, and then she crawls back and at once 

 takes flight. The eggs are usually laid near the base of the leaf on the rounded 

 surface, but sometimes on the leaf itself, indifferently above or below, and 

 occasionally on the stem ; many eggs may be laid on a single plant, but I have 

 never found more than one on a leaf in free nature. Five females confined in 

 June, over sorrel, laid 120 eggs, of which 51 were laid on the upper surface, 45 on 

 the under surface, 8 on the edge of the leaves, and 16 on the stems. They hatch 

 in from 6J to 10 days, according to the season. Foodplants and Habits of 

 Larva. — The caterpillar appears only to feed on the common sorrel (Rumex 

 acetosella, Linn.), although several persons, apparently quoting Harris, say that 

 it devours also the dock (Rumex crispms, Linn.), and other species of the genus. 

 Harris, however, merely suggests that it may do so. The European phlaeas is also 

 said to feed both on dock and sorrel, although recently Prittwitz has affirmed that 

 it devours only tbe latter (Rumex acetosa). Mr. Lintner informs me that our insect 

 will feed on clover. Larva. — First stage : Head pale testaceous, the sutures of the 

 triangle blackish-fuscous ; ocelli blackish-fuscous ; edge of labrum and mouthparts 

 tinged with ferruginous, body pale yellowish-green, with a dark brownish spot on 

 the top of terminal segment ; warts both simple and hair-bearing, blackish-fuscous, 

 those of the latero-stigmatal series with a pale centre ; hairs pale brownish ; 

 stigmata testaceous ; legs greenish-yellow ; claws fuscous ; prolegs yellowish. 

 Length l-12rnm., width -26mm.; length of superior longest hairs -5mm., of 

 superior shorter hairs -14mm., of lateral hairs -17mm. ; width of head - 25mm. 

 Second stage : In this stage the whole aspect of the creature has changed on a 

 minute inspection. The form becomes less exaggerated in its distinctions between 

 front and hind end, the body is broadest at the second thoracic segment, and, 

 instead of the single series of excessively long, spiculiferous hairs, there are now 

 a multitude of series with spiculiferous hairs, but the hairs are not nearly so curving 

 nor so long, and all are of the same length ; there are about 25 hairs to a segment ; 

 besides these the crateriform warts have increased in number, are lower down 

 than before, not all in one row, several on a segment of unequal size, and varying 

 from segment to segment, and even apparently at the two sides of the 

 body. The skin is delicately shagreened, and the body is of a pale, pellucid 

 brown colour. Spiracles black rimmed. Length, 2-2mm., breadth •5mm., 

 Third stage : Head blackish-castaneous, antenna? pale. Body, above and below, 

 delicate grass-green, slightly darker along the middle of the sides; a faint, dusky, 

 dorsal line. Hairs brownish-fuscous, curving backward a little. Spiracles luteo- 

 fuscous. Legs slightly infuscated. tipped with fuscous ; prolegs of the colour 

 of the undersurface. Length 3*5mm., breadth 1mm., height -8mm. Fourth 

 stage : Head pale yellowish-green, edged below, including the bottom of the 

 ocellar field, with blackish-fuscous, the suture of the triangle marked with fuscous ; 

 labium rimmed with whitish ; mandibles reddish-fuscous. Body as previously 

 described ; in some instances a dorsal stripe, and a broad, ventro-stigmatal band 

 around the whole body ; dull roseate, the colour apparently confined to the hairs. 

 Length, soon after moulting, 5mm., breadth l-75mm., height l*35mm. Last 

 stage : llesembling the former altogether, excepting that all the specimens with 

 roseate stripe and margin, which I have reared, become wholly green alter the last 

 moult. Length 14 - 5mm., breadth 4* 25mm. Just before pupation the fungiform 

 appendages of the coming pupa appear as white hemispherical papillae, dotting the 

 surface of the caterpillar. I'm.— The general colour is light brown or livid, tinged 



