POLYOMMATUS (LYdffiNA) ALSUS. 101 



I received several specimens of the butterfly, which 

 had been captured by Mr. Buckler in Hampshire about 

 June 15th, 1870. I placed them on a plant of Anthyllis 

 vulrieraria in a large cylinder, and although they died 

 off rapidly, one female at least survived to lay about a 

 dozen eggs between the 16th and 18th of June. The 

 larvse began to hatch on the 21st, and at once took to 

 the flowers of Anthyllis, either eating a hole through 

 the downy calyx, and then through the corolla to the 

 immature seed-vessel, or else beginning by eating the 

 lip of the corolla, and then going down to the base of 

 the style. 



From first to last the seed certainly was the part 

 preferred, and whilst the larvse were small they fed on it 

 hidden within the corolla; when they had attained some 

 size they pierced the side of the calyx and corolla, and 

 thrust in the forepart of their bodies to get at the 

 seed-pod with its single seed, leaving their hinder parts 

 outside, but still well hidden among the dense bunch 

 of flowers which formed each head. 



By July 1st they were barely half- grown, but in the 

 next fortnight they developed rapidly, some of them 

 by the 13th having attained the length of a quarter of 

 an inch, and soon after this the most advanced were 

 full-grown ; others, captured in the locality from which 

 the imagos came, were not so far advanced, but most 

 of these also had ceased feeding by the end of July ; 

 they then placed themselves about on the gauze covers 

 of their cages, or on the underside of anything in the 

 cages that would hide them, and we expected to see 

 them change to pupge. However, up to the date of 

 writing this (November 9th, 1870) no such change had 

 taken place, but those larvae which have not died are 

 waiting on quietly, and I suppose will not now turn to 

 pupse till spring. 



The egg seemed generally to be deposited low down 

 on the calyx of the Anthyllis flowers, and though thus 

 hidden from casual observation, it may be easily de- 

 tected on a careful search ; it is, as might be expected, 



