Notes on the Habits of some Lepidopterous Larvce. 255 



in stony ground, nor among the rocks of mica schist which 

 abound in Provence. Accordingly they wander about, still 

 under the guidance of their leader, until a suitable place is 

 reached ; then, as if by common consent, the line breaks up, 

 and each larva proceeds to bury himself, near his fellows, 

 so that where one cocoon is met with by digging", others 

 are sure to be found close at hand. I may mention that I have 

 never succeeded in rearing the perfect insect, all my pupse 

 having died, probably from not having the choice of ground 

 when in captivity. 



Another larva, whose habits are worthy of note, is that of 

 the magnificent Char axes Jasius, the prince of European but- 

 terflies. This glorious insect is very local in Europe, occurring 

 only in Provence, near Hyeres for the most part; and, it is 

 said, in one or two localities in Spain. The larvee I have 

 found pretty commonly near Hyeres : at Cannes none were to 

 be seen, nor were any met with in the Estrelle mountains, 

 although the food plant [Arbutus unedo) abounds there. This 

 larva is of a curious shape, the middle segments being very 

 thick, and those toward the head and tail gradually tapering. 

 The head has a species of mask with four horns, corresponding 

 quaintly enough with the four tails on the wings of the perfect 

 insect. This larva feeds only in the sunshine, and must of 

 course be looked for only on those leaves which are exposed to 

 the sun's rays ; all attempts to induce it to feed in the shade 

 prove fruitless. The creature would sooner die than eat ex- 

 cept in the bright sunshine ! It forms a slight silken web, 

 very soft, and of a brilliant white colour on the leaf, not for a 

 covering, strangely enough, but for a couch. This is, as far as 

 I know, the only instance of silk being produced by a member 

 of the diurnal Lepidoptera. The larvee being of a bright green 

 colour, similar to that of the food plant, are very difficult to 

 find, and often are overlooked, even by sharp-sighted entomo- 

 logists. They adhere with wonderful tenacity to the leaves on 

 which they feed. No amount of shaking or beating will dis- 

 lodge them ; in order to obtain them it is necessary to examine 

 each leaf carefully (that is, of course, each leaf on the south 

 side of the plant). The larva grows very slowly, being hatched 

 about July, and rarely attaining its full size until the following 

 May. Before each change of skin it suspends itself from a 

 branch by the tail, and when the change is effected, the skin 

 of the head is left behind, horns and all, like a mask ! This 

 insect is exceedingly difficult to rear, a very slight touch will 

 kill the larva or pupa ; and to rear it in England is next to im- 

 possible, first, on account of the scarcity of its food plant ; 

 secondly, because we have so little sunshine during the spring ; 

 thirdly, because our summers are not warm enough to bring 



