42 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



at the same time. Muschamp observes that, in the Bavois Woods, he 

 also finds the larvae of A. ilia on S. caprea (as well as on P. trennda), 

 but that, even then, they always began to feed later, although his 

 experience points to this species assuming the perfect stage about a 

 week later than A. iris. The larva of A. ilia, like that of A. iris, covers 

 the upperside of a leaf with silk, and of this makes a resting-place, 

 going hence to feed, when it eats first one half of a leaf and then the 

 other half. Its movements also are similar to those of A. iris. 



After hybernation, which, as in the European species, takes place after 

 the second moult, the larvae of Chlorippe celtis soon undergo their third 

 moult, and become solitary in their habit. Thus Eiley says' (Ann. Rept. 

 State. Missouri, vi., p. 138) that the larva of this species is to be found at 

 rest on the underside of a leaf, usually on a carpet of silk, and often with 

 a portion of the leaf bent around it. The lower part of the head is then 

 drawn under the neck, and the antlers thrown forwards ; sometimes, 

 but not often, it partially covers itself with a curled leaf or with two 

 leaves drawn together, whilst, of the larvae of C. clyton (op. cit., p. 141), 

 he says that " the habit, after they scatter, of hiding with leaves drawn 

 around them, is more determined than in 0. celtis." Scudder says 

 (Butts. New Engl., i. p. 246) that, after the larva) of C. clyton have 

 passed their third moult and scattered, they live independently; some, 

 which he had, crawled to the separate terminal leaves of twigs, where 

 they took up their permanent abode, returning to the leaf after 

 excursions for food, and resting always on the upper surface. After a 

 time, apparently by repeated zigzaggings at every return, the sides of 

 the leaf or leaf-cluster were brought towards each other to form a kind 

 of trough, so that the caterpillar was only in view from above. One 

 larva, when removing to new quarters, made at once, of several leaves, 

 a sort of open bower, which concealed it well, though not completely. 

 Edwards says that, after the 4th moult, each larva of C. clyton, in 

 captivity, makes for itself a web on the surface of a leaf, and draws 

 the sides together until a sort of case is formed, within which it lives. 

 From this it emerges to feed at night, as was evident by leaves at a 

 distance being constantly fed upon during the night. He thinks that 

 this habit in captivity was only a modification of the larval habit when 

 free. Edwards makes one or two further observations on the habits 

 of C. clyton, viz., (1) that the moulting of the individuals of a brood 

 was not simultaneous for all the individuals, but was going on for 

 two or three days, before all were changed, and that this was noticed 

 at each moult, including the first ; (2) that some hybernating larvae, 

 brought from a cool cellar on May 9th, fed on at much different rates, 

 some passing the third moult on May 16th, whilst the greater pro- 

 portion did not do so till May 23rd and 24th ; that, by this time, the 

 "forwards" were passing the fourth moult, and by May 30th pupated, 

 the butterflies emerging June 10th and following days. Meantime 

 the " laggards " continued to grow, reached a size that seemed 

 enormous for the species, and, pupating later, produced females only, 

 so that no females appeared till nearly all the males had emerged. 

 Of a brood obtained later and which fed up in the spring of 1874, 

 under apparently identical conditions, Edwards observes that every 

 stage was prolonged, the first pupa not formed till July 7th, the 

 butterflies appearing about ten days later. He adds that he can give 

 no explanation of the difference. 



