430 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



distinct, contrasting with such flat smooth-topped eggs as Agriades cory- 

 don, where the top contrasts markedly, and somewhat suddenly, with the 

 sides; the pillars are rather cones than pillars,?.?., the ribs runup into 

 them, meeting in a rounded summit, with little or nothing of the 

 frequently-seen knob-like top, though they have something of this 

 round the margin where they are largest, the smaller pillars, however, 

 in this area, showing it most. ' The largest cells are about O05mm. in 

 their largest diameter, and they are half this size, or a little less, near 

 the micropylar depression, with the very fine cells of which they are 

 fairly continuous in arrangement. The cells appear to have a thick- 

 ening or eminence of the white coating material in the centre of their 

 floors, and their walls are thinner near the shell beneath, than if they 

 spread out across the floor in a catenary curve, as they do in some eggs 

 (Chapman). Clark figures the egg, Ent. Record, xii., pi. xi., fig. 8. 

 The egg is very much like that of P. icarus (compare preceding 

 vol., pi. iv., fig. 4 and pi. xix., fig. 4 of current vol.), except that 

 it is rather larger, being circular, flattened, and rather depressed 

 in the centre ; the whole surface, except just a central spot, is overlaid 

 with raised reticulation with little knobs at the angles ; the shell is pale 

 bluish-green, with the raised reticulation whitish (Buckler) . The egg re- 

 sembles that of Agriades corydon, etc. [compare preceding vol., pi. iv., fig. 6 

 (A. corydon), and current vol., pi. xix., fig. 4 (C.aryiolus)] ,iscircular,flatten- 

 ed, and slightly concave towards the centre, in colour translucent green- 

 ish-white ; the entire surface, except a small central area, covered with a 

 raised network pattern, the mesh longer at the equator, whilst at each 

 point where the lines converge is a prominent glassy tubercle (Prideaux). 

 Spheroid in form ; depressed at crown ; flattened at base by which it 

 is firmly attached ; the colour a delicate very faint green ; the surface 

 reticulated or pitted with excessively fine partition-walls between the 

 pits. The empty shell is colourless, resembling white porcelain ; the 

 inside lined with a glittering substance like tinfoil (Newman). See 

 also description by Edwards (antea p. 408). 



Habits of larva. — The larva escapes from the eggs hellby means 

 of a hole that it makes near the centre of the upper surface. The young 

 larvae are slow in their movements and have the power of suspending 

 themselves by means of a thread if disturbed. Those that hatch during 

 May are fullfed in about 30 days, and pupate in late June or early 

 July, the pupal stage lasting about 18 days, or otherwise throughout 

 the autumn and winter until the following spring (one noted by 

 Buckler as 334 days in pupal stage). The larva? of the second brood 

 leave the egg during August, one that hatched on August 8th, 1875, 

 moulted for the first time on the 12th, again on the 16th, then on the 

 20th ; yet again between September 1st and 5th, being fully grown on 

 the 10th; it fixed itself for pupation on the 13th and pupated on the 

 17th, thus passing just 40 days in the larval state. The imago from 

 this emerged April 6th, 1876, with a pupal period of 202 days (Buckler). 

 Spring brood: The young larvae of the spring brood commence to feed 

 on the buds and flowers of holly amongst which they find themselves, 

 but soon climb on the young tender leaves and shoots, upon which they 

 thrive. They will also feed on ivy leaves, but when both they and holly 

 are to be had, prefer the latter. The larva when disturbed has the 

 power of lowering itself by a silken thread (Johnson). The older 

 larvae, resulting from the eggs laid by spring ?s of C. argiolus, are 

 ust as well content to eat the young leaves at the top of a holly-spray, 



