GONEPTURYX 1UIAMNI. 145 



GONEPTERYX RHAMNF; 



Plate I, fig. 2. 



My notes on this species are as follows : — In 1871, 

 July 3rd, I found several larvae feeding on Bhamnus 

 frangula; on July 13th, three of these had become 

 pupa3, whilst some remained quite small. In 1874, 

 I bred the imago on July 11th. 



This year (1885) I have had larvae sent to me by 

 Mr. W/R. Jeffrey, June 16th; by Mr. Holland, of 

 Reading, June 26th ; by Mr. Bignell, July 2nd ; and 

 by Mr. Harwood, July 15th. On June 17th, I searched 

 some bushes of buckthorn near Exeter, and on one 

 stunted bush, growing in a sheltered nook on the side 

 of a hill, I found five eggs and four larvae ; and on the 

 same bush I continued to find eggs and larvae till the 

 end of the month, my last find being dated June 30th. 



How long the egg state lasts I cannot say, not many 

 days I imagine ; I had some larvae hatch on June 19th, 

 which moulted June 28th, July 4th, and July 6th; were 

 full fed July 13th to 15th; became pupae July 16th to 

 17th; and the butterflies appeared July 29th to 30th. 

 I fancied there was a moult on June 23rd, but on 

 testing this point with another larva hatched June 

 28th, I found it did not moult till July 6th, so I con- 

 clude the larva moults but three times; the skin seemed 

 in almost all cases to be eaten. Several of the larvae 

 which I found, or received from friends, had been 

 stung ; of the survivors the first became an imago July 

 26th, the last on August 3rd. 



The duration of the three stages of egg, larva, and 

 pupa, must be limited to something less than two 

 months; the remainder of the year is passed in the 

 perfect state. 



The egg is laid singly, generally on a rib of the 

 under side of a leaf of Bhamnus frangula ;* but one 



* I have met with the larva on Bhamnus catharticus. — H. T. S. 

 VOL. I. 10 



