LEPIDOPTEROUS PUP M A ED THEIR SURROUNDING SURFACES. 
363 
These results are very curious and to some extent accidental, as is proved by 
comparison with the results of similar, but larger, transference experiments. Such a 
comparison shows that there is obviously no significance in the gilt surroundings 
producing more effect when acting only in the Stages I. and II. of the preparatory 
period than when acting in these and in Stage III. also. The highly-marked effects 
seen in the two transferred larvae are doubtless somewhat abnormally extreme results 
of the very powerful influence of gilt surroundings working during a time of very 
high larval susceptibility, i.e., Stage II. 
<• » 
*v 
Thus seven pupae were obtained from this series. 
XI.—I was very anxious to obtain some wild pupae in order to compare their colours 
with those of the pupae which had been the subjects of experiment. From what I 
remembered of observations in former years, I felt assured that the common degree 
of colour was that represented by (3), but that (2) and (l) were not uncommon, 
while the highly gilded forms (4) and (5) were almost unknown, except in pupae 
which contain Ichneumon larvae. This exception is, however, obviously abnormal, and 
it will be alluded to below. On August 31 I found 15 pupae of V. urticce on a 
smooth stone wall, with an east aspect, in Oxford. Inasmuch as the pupae occurred 
near together, along one continuous extent of wall, and were about the same age, 
there is little doubt that they were all produced from the larvae of a single company. 
Two-thirds of the pupae were found under the projecting coping. The colour of the 
stone was grey from the growth of lichens and from the darkening due to soot, &c. 
Under the coping the colour was especially dark, and was further intensified by the 
shadow. The pupae were not sufficiently crowded for their colour to have been 
mutually affected. 
The pupae were most carefully compared with 45 others examined August 29, and 
with all examined September 1, and the results were as follows 
Of tlie 15 pupae, 4 were . . (1), with no gold at all. 
1 was . . (2), 
7 were dark (3) | Only the minutest spot of gold to be seen on careful examination 
g j in 2 of these : none in the others. 
15 
The gold of the two pupae was in the position in which it always occurs if present 
at all, i.e., round the base of the small lateral tubercles on the first and second 
abdominal segments. There was a strongly marked deep reddish tint in the three 
(3), and to a less extent in five out of the seven dark (3) and in one of the (1). 
This colour was much deeper than the pink tint so often mentioned in the pupae of my 
experiments. It was, however, similar to the red mentioned in Series XII., B. and D., 
although it was much deeper than in the latter. These 15 pupae were so different 
o A. -j 
