150 PIEEIS BRASSIOjE. 



on end in batches, but without linear arrangement, on 

 either surface of the leaf ; the females in confinement 

 deposited little groups of six, or eight, or a dozen; but 

 those we found at large were in much larger companies. 

 I found two batches of fifty or sixty each, and Mr. 

 Bignell sent me at one time sixty-five, and at another 

 time more than one hundred all grouped together ; the 

 egg is flask-shaped or skittle-shaped, standing on end, 

 rather more than 1 mm. in height, and more than -J- 

 mm. in diameter below, and about ^ mm. across the top, 

 with from 15 to 17 longitudinal ribs, and delicate even 

 transverse reticulation ; in colour dull yellow. Shortly 

 before the larva is hatched the egg shows three coloured, 

 the narrow neck and top being white and empty, then 

 just at the shoulder a black spot, being the head of the 

 larva, and all below yellow, the colour of the body of the ' 

 larva. The young larva eats the empty eggshell; it is 

 over 2 mm. in length, with large black head, the body 

 pale greenish-drab, the usual warts large and black, the 

 front pair of trapezoidals being largest, each carrying 

 a long hair ; on the second segment a pair of large 

 black square spots separated by a pale line, the back 

 for the width of the space between the front trape- 

 zoidals pale with a dusky thread through the middle, 

 a large black plate on thirteenth segment. As the larva 

 grows, before the first moult, some tiny black specks 

 begin to show; when through the first moult, the 

 length being 4 mm., the body is yellowish-green, the 

 dorsal line distinctly yellower, the warts grown larger 

 and blacker than before, the hairs still long and stiff ; 

 when through the second moult, 8 mm. long, the colour 

 yellow with a green tinge on the front segments, black 

 head and warts as before ; after the third moult, 12 

 mm. long, the middle of the back and lower part of the 

 sides more yellow, the subdorsal region greyish-green, 

 head and spots black ; after the fourth moult, 20 mm. 

 long,thehea'd becomes pale, and this seems the great dis- 

 tinction of the final skin. The full grown larva is about 

 42 mm. in length, rather slender, cylindrical, tapering 



