FAMILY HABITS IN BUTTERFLY LARVAE THE COLIADS, ETC. 57 



1897, pp. 249-258). It must be confessed, however, that the specific 

 value of some of these insects is very uncertain, and that they all inhabit 

 either extremely high latitudes or altitudes, and partake largely of the 

 general appearance of C. palaeno. As for other species, it is well known 

 that the larvae of Colias edusa, C. hyale, etc., feed on various low-growing 

 legumiuous plants — Medicago, etc., C. phicomone on others — Vicia, 

 etc., C. myrmidone on Cytisus, etc. Of the American species, the larvae 

 of Colias meadii, C, elis, 0. alexandra, as well as the common species 

 C. philodice, C. eurytheme, etc., are well-known feeders on leguminous 

 plants, and, with the exception of the little group already mentioned, 

 the family-habit of selecting this order of plants must be looked upon 

 as a pretty constant one. It may be here noted that Harrison asserts 

 (Ent. Rec, xvi., pp. 173-176) that the larva of C. edusa will eat grass. 



For the purpose of hybernation, the larvae of Colias hyale spin a 

 pad of silk on the upper surface of a clover leaf ; this they did in 

 November, commencing to feed again from February 20th-23rd 

 (Sheldon, Ent. Rec, xiii., p. 222). The larvae of the widely different 

 Nearctic species, Colias interior, commence to hybernate at the end of 

 August in the second instar, lying along the midrib of a leaf near the 

 petiole, upon a slight carpet of silk, and commence to move in early 

 May (Lyman, Can. Ent., 1897, pp. 249-258). Colias meadii hybernates 

 after the second or third moult, commencing its period of rest in 

 August or September, the larvae hiding themselves, in confinement, 

 in and among the dead leaves at the base of a clover-plant ; in their 

 natural haunts at Loch Laggan, they are covered with snow until 

 the end of May ; the form elis also hybernates from August to May 

 (Edwards and Bean, Can. Ent., 1892, pp. 55-56). Of Colias Christina 

 ( = astraea), the larva comes out of hybernation quite at the end of 

 May (Bean teste Edwards, Can. Ent., 1892, p. 111). 



The feeding-habits and resting-habits of the larvae of the various Coliad 

 species appear also to be pretty similar. Dollman observes [Ent. Rec, 

 xiii., pp. 213-215) that the young larva of Colias edusa, from the first, 

 feeds almost invariably upon the upperside of a leaf, and has a habit 

 of lying along the midrib, to which position it particularly resorts 

 before evening, so that when the clover-leaf closes, as it does at night, 

 it lies shut within it ; during the day it rests with the claspers firmly 

 holding the surface of the leaf, elevating the forepart of the- body 

 in a bent posture, like a " Sphinx " larva, to a slight extent, with the head 

 depressed, and just resting the tips of the legs upon the leaf. It is 

 very sluggish from the time it hatches, lying extended at full length 

 on the upperside of the leaf, on which it moves only to feed ; ]t 

 appears to be rather more active as it gets older, but the difference is a 

 very slight one. He further observes that the larva of Colias edusa 

 appears seldom to feed at the edge of a leaf, but to eat small holes in 

 the broad surface on the upperside, which are gradually enlarged by 

 consumption to the margin, in a ragged and broken manner. Harrison 

 adds (Ent. Rec, xvi., pp. 173-176), that the larva refuses to feed upon 

 the underside of a leaf, that the little larvae fret out irregular holes in 

 the upperside of a leaf, but do not eat the epidermis on the underside ; 

 that they feed during the day, and, retiring to the midrib when a meal is 

 finished, stretch themselves at full length along it, so that, when the 

 clover-leaf closes for the night, the small larvae are folded up and thus 

 protected. He adds that they continue the habit during the second 



