CHAPTER XIII

_THE FRITILLARIES, VANESSAS, AND THE PURPLE EMPEROR_

Family--NYMPHALIDAE

We now come to a rather large family, which contains some of our largest and most brilliant butterflies. Some of them display the most gaudy colours, and others exhibit patches of a beautiful metallic lustre.

If you were to see all the members of this family side by side, they might strike you as being so varied in their appearance that you would wonder why they are all placed in one family group. But, were you to see, in addition to the perfect insects, all their larvae and chrysalides, the reason would be made clear at once, for these earlier stages are seen to resemble each other in certain points at the very first glance. The former are all provided with peculiar spines, and the latter are all more or less angular, and are all suspended to a silken carpet by means of hooks at the tip of the abdomen, and have no belt as we have observed in the case of the _Pieridae_.

The perfect insects, too, although so varied in colouring, are alike in that they have only four walking legs, the first pair being so imperfectly developed as to be useless for this purpose.

This family includes the Fritillaries and the Vanessas.

_The Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary_ (_Argynnis Selene_)

The interesting group of butterflies known as the Fritillaries vary considerably in size, but are remarkably uniform in the ground colour of the wings, which, in all cases, is a rich golden or sienna brown; and this ground is chequered with darker colours in such a manner as to remind one of the petals of the wild flower known as the Snake's Head or Fritillary--hence the popular name of the group.

The Small Pearl-bordered, our first example, is one of the lesser Fritillaries, and is shown in Plate II (fig. 5).

The arrangement of the black markings on the upper surface will be readily made out from the coloured plate, but the pattern of the under side will require a little special notice, for it is here, as with the other Fritillaries, that we find the chief marks by which we identify the species. On this side (fig. 67) the fore wings are light orange brown, with a patch of darker brown near the tips, and spotted with a dull black. The hind wings have the light brown displaced by a very warm chestnut tint, some yellow, and bright silvery spots.

Seven silvery spots of triangular form border the hind margin. A large one occupies the centre of the wing, and ten others are somewhat irregularly scattered over other parts of the wing--five between the central spot and the hind margin, and five between it and the costa.

All the spots on these wings, whether yellow, chestnut, or silver, are bordered by a narrow black line.

_Selene_ is not a very abundant butterfly, but is widely distributed in England, and is also found in parts of Scotland. Its favourite resorts are clearings in woods, especially those of Kent and other southern counties.

It appears in May and June, in which latter month it deposits its eggs on the dog violet (_Viola canina_).

The caterpillar is not fully grown at the end of the summer, and hybernates during the winter among the roots of its food plant. In the following spring it emerges again, and feeds till May, when it changes to the chrysalis on a stem. It is less than an inch long when fully grown, and is of a dark-brown colour. Six rows of hairy spines are arranged longitudinally on its body.

The chrysalis is greyish brown, and has a number of very short projections corresponding with the spines of the caterpillar.

_The Pearl-bordered Fritillary_ (_Argynnis Euphrosyne_)

There is very little difference in the size of this and that of the last species, but _Euphrosyne_ (Plate II, fig. 6) is generally a trifle larger. The two butterflies are also very similar in appearance; indeed, they are so much alike on the upper side that it is impossible to decide on the name of either without an examination of the under surface.

_Euphrosyne_ has a border of seven triangular silver spots on each hind wing, exactly corresponding with those of _Selene_. It has also the large central spot of silver. But, beside these, there is _only one_ other, and that is situated in the basal angle. Thus there are only nine silvery or pearly spots on each hind wing of _Euphrosyne_, while there are seventeen on _Selene_. This will form a ready means of distinguishing between the two species.

The seasons and localities of this butterfly correspond very closely with those of the last species, but it is much more common, and may be found in abundance in nearly all our southern woods during May and June.

The caterpillar, also, feeds on the same plant (dog violet) as _Selene_. It is black, with whitish lines along the sides; and is provided with a number of bristly spines.

The chrysalis is of a grey-brown colour, with small dots of a paler tint on the wing cases; and its body has a number of short conical projections exactly corresponding with the spines of the caterpillar.

_The Queen of Spain Fritillary_ (_Argynnis Latona_)

We now pass from the commonest to the rarest and most prized of our wood butterflies--The Queen of Spain (Plate II, fig. 7). This royal personage is not easily mistaken for any of the meaner Fritillaries even when the upper surface only is examined, as the concave hind margins of the fore wings serve as an almost conclusive mark of distinction. The rich tawny brown of this side is boldly marked with black, and the long hairs and scales of the bases of the wings are tinged with green.

The under side presents a most beautiful appearance. Here the ground colour is paler than that of the upper side. The fore wings are spotted with black, and have a few small patches of silver at the tips. Each hind wing has no fewer than twenty-four bright silvery spots. Seven of these, mostly of large size, adorn the hind margin, and above each of these is a small one in the middle of a little patch of dark brown. The arrangement of the others is not quite so easily described, but may be readily made out from our illustration.

This rare gem among British butterflies has been taken in many localities, but in very small numbers. Seeing that it is a common insect on the other side of the Channel, and that the British captures have been made chiefly in the Isle of Wight and on the south coast, I am inclined to believe that many of the highly valued genuine Britishers have no right to their title, but are visitors that have spent only a few days within our shores, having flown or been blown across the sea.

It is not likely that many of my readers will ever meet with _Latona_ during their rambles in our own country, and if they are anxious to have the species represented in their collections, they will probably have to purchase either a British or a foreign specimen, the former of which will command a very high price, while the latter may be obtained for three or four pence.

The perfect insect may be looked for in August and September, during which time the eggs are laid on the leaves of violets and the heartsease (_Viola canina_, _V. odorata_, and _V. tricolor_).

The caterpillar is brown, with numerous yellowish spines, and has three whitish or yellowish stripes--one down the middle of the back and one along each side. It hybernates during the winter, and is fully grown in the following June or July. I hope that my reader will be so fortunate as to secure either this or some other stage of this rare and beautiful insect. The chances are decidedly against him, but that is no reason why he should abstain from a vigorous search when he happens to be 'doing' the southern counties.

_The Dark-green Fritillary_ (_Argynnis Aglaia_)

This butterfly is larger than _Latona_, as will be seen by reference to Plate II, fig. 8. Its colour is, as usual with the Fritillaries, a tawny brown with black markings. The female is usually larger than the male, and she is further distinguished by the ground colour being darker and the black markings larger.

The under side of the fore wings is very similar in colour and markings to the upper, but there are silvery spots near the tips. The hind wings are beautifully tinted with olive green and brown, and studded with silver. The arrangement of the latter is not easily described, but is accurately represented in the accompanying woodcut.

The favourite resorts of this insect are wooded spots, and also heaths and downs clad with heather or ferns, where its food plant (the dog violet) lies scattered; but it seems to be less partial to woods than the other Fritillaries. It is very widely distributed throughout England, and is common in parts of Scotland and Ireland.

The perfect insect is on the wing in July and early August.

The caterpillar first appears toward the end of August, and commences its period of hybernation among the roots of its food plant before it has grown to any considerable size. It comes out again in the spring, and continues to feed till the beginning or middle of July, and then changes to the chrysalis state, after protecting itself by binding three or four leaves together.

Its colour is a velvety black, with dark and glossy grey between the segments. There is a double yellow line along the back, and a thin line of orange yellow on each side below the spiracles. It has a number of black hairy spines, arranged in six longitudinal rows.

The chrysalis is of a shiny black colour, with brownish abdomen; and the conical projections are black with yellow tips.

_The High-brown Fritillary_ (_Argynnis Adippe_)

The upper side of this butterfly is so much like that of _Aglaia_ that it would be difficult indeed to give a written description of one that did not almost equally well apply to the other; so we look to the under surface for the chief marks by which we can distinguish between them.

On this side (Plate III, fig. 1) the fore wings are much the same as those of _Aglaia_. The hind wings, too, are very similarly coloured and marked, but here we have a distinguishing feature in a row of rust-red spots with silvery centres, just inside the silver border of the hind margin.

This butterfly is common in open spaces of woods in many parts of England, more particularly in the south, and seems to be also fond of hilly heaths and moors.

It is on the wing in July, and, towards the end of this month and in the beginning of August, the eggs are laid on the leaves of the dog violet (_Viola canina_) and heartsease (_V. tricolor_).

The young caterpillar emerges about two weeks later, and feeds only for a short time before it seeks out its winter quarters among the dead leaves at the root of its food plant. The feeding is resumed in the spring, and continued till the month of June, when it is fully grown. At this time it is about an inch and a half long. Its head is black, and its body pinkish brown. A white line extends down the back, but is interrupted by several black marks. The spines, of which there are six rows, are white, with pinkish tips.

_The Silver-washed Fritillary_ (_Argynnis Paphia_)

This beautiful and noble butterfly is the largest of the Fritillaries, and the most powerful on the wing. During the latter part of June and throughout July it may be seen gracefully sweeping through the trees and undergrowth of woods, often settling down on a favourite flower for a short time. So strong is its flight that it is useless to attempt to pursue it for any distance. Sometimes it will sail along a wooded path, followed at short intervals by others of its species, and may be taken in the net as it passes. But perhaps the most successful method of netting _Paphia_ is to wait till it has settled, and then secure it by a quick upward or side stroke of the net. If then you miss your aim, off it will dart, sailing over the tree tops till, in a very short time, it is quite out of sight.

The upper side of this butterfly is shown in Plate III, fig. 2, where the general arrangement of the black spots on the rich orange-brown ground is carefully marked. There is a considerable difference between the male and female of this species. The figure on Plate III represents the male. The female does not possess the broad black lines that follow the course of the veins of the fore wings; the basal portions of all four wings are also tinged with a rich olive-brown colour, often with a decided tendency to green; and the black spots of all the wings are larger.

The under side is particularly rich in its decorations. The front wings are of the usual orange brown, chequered with black. The hind wings are partly brown and partly orange, and exhibit beautiful greenish reflections. They have also two bars of silver, and a silvery spot in the basal angle, all with rather indefinite outlines.

The female lays her eggs late in July on the food plants (_Viola canina_ and _V. odorata_) or on the moss that surrounds them.

About two weeks later the young caterpillar is out and feeding; and then, after a few more weeks, while it is yet very small, it hides among the dead leaves at the roots. Early in the spring it resumes its feeding, and is full grown at the end of May.

The colour of the caterpillar (Plate VIII, fig. 3) is black, and there are two yellow lines along the back, separated by a black stripe, also one yellowish line on each side. Its body is adorned with reddish-brown spines, two of which, situated just behind the head, are longer than the others.

The chrysalis (Plate VIII, fig. 9) is greyish, marked with metallic spots, and has a number of angular projections representing the spines of the larva.

_Paphia_ is to be met with in woods in all parts of England and Wales. It has also been observed in Ireland, but is rarely seen in Scotland.

_The Greasy Fritillary_ (_Melitaea Aurinia_)

Unlike the other Fritillaries, this species (Plate III, fig. 3) exhibits a variety of shades on the upper surface. A broad band of sienna brown stretches across each wing, near to and parallel with the hind margin. The other parts of the wings are marked with patches of sienna, orange, and yellow, separated by black lines and bands. The margins are all black, and inside the broader margin of the hind wing is a row of six very pale yellow spots. The broad sienna band of the hind wing is also divided by narrow black lines into seven parts, six of which have black centres.

The under surface of the fore wings has indefinite yellowish and tawny patches, which look as if they had been greased and smeared. The hind wings are marked with pale yellow and deep orange; a broad band of the latter, near the hind margin, is divided into segments, each of which has a yellow spot with black in the centre.

This is a very local insect, although it is widely distributed throughout England and Wales. It also occurs sparingly in Scotland and Ireland. Its food plants are the honeysuckle (_Lonicera_ _Periclymenum_), devil's-bit scabious (_Scabiosa succisa_), and the plantain (_Plantago_); and its chief resorts are damp meadows and marshy places, where these plants (more especially the scabious) abound.

The butterfly appears about the end of April or in June.

The caterpillars emerge from the eggs towards the end of the latter month, and always feed in groups under the cover of a silken web. Like the preceding species they hybernate during the winter, and commence feeding again in the spring. They are fully grown about the end of April.

In colour the caterpillar is velvety black, dotted with white, and its body is covered with short bristly spines. When fully fed it seeks the shelter of a curled leaf or dense herbage, suspends itself by the hind claspers to a silken carpet, and then changes to a creamy white chrysalis with black dots.

_The Glanville Fritillary_ (_Melitaea Cinxia_)

The pattern of the upper side of this Fritillary (Plate III, fig. 4) is very similar to that of _Aurinia_, but the ground colour is a uniform tawny brown, and the fringes of the wings are of a very pale straw colour, barred with black.

The under side of the fore wings is tawny brown, with straw-coloured tips bearing black markings. The hind wings have four alternate bands of brown and straw colour, and a patch of straw colour at the base. The marginal yellow band has six or seven black spots. The brown band next to it is divided into six segments with black borders, each with a black spot. The next yellow band has also a row of black spots. The inner fulvous band is very irregular; and inside this is the yellow base with six spots.

This is another local insect--very local indeed, for it seems to have been found only in a few spots outside its head quarters, the Isle of Wight. Those in search of it should carefully scan the rough cliffy parts of the island, wherever the species of plantain (_Plantago Coronopus_ and _P. maritima_) are plentiful, these being the food plants of the larvae. It first appears on the wing in May, but may be found till the end of June.

The caterpillars, which are black and spiny, with reddish head and legs, begin to feed in August, and as soon as the chilly weather sets in they hybernate in groups under the cover of a tent constructed by binding together leaves or blades of grass. In the spring they start out again, and feed till the end of April, at which time they change to dark brownish and smooth chrysalides.

_The Heath Fritillary_ (_Melitaea Athalia_)

Both the upper and under sides of this butterfly are shown on Plate III (figs. 5 and 6), and it will be observed from these that its general appearance is very similar to that of _Cinxia_.

The upper surface is of the same tawny brown, barred and striped with black, and the fringes of the wings are pale yellow, interrupted by small patches of black.

The under surface of the fore wings has the same ground colour with the exception of the tips, which are yellow; and the whole is marked with black, as in the illustration. The hind wings are pale yellow, with two broad bands of brown corresponding with those of _Cinxia_; but a series of black double arches along the hind margin and the _absence_ of rows of black spots serve to distinguish this species from the last.

_Athalia_ is another local butterfly, but is sometimes found in abundance in the spots which it frequents. It is met with chiefly in the open spaces of woods along the south coast and for some distance inland. Devon, Cornwall, Sussex, and Kent seem to be the most favoured counties; and London entomologists would do well to search for it in Epping Forest.

The butterfly deposits its eggs during June and July, on several different food plants, the chief of which are the greater and narrow-leaved plantains (_Plantago major_ and _P. lanceolata_), foxglove (_Digitalis purpurea_), two species of cow-wheat (_Melampyrum pratense_ and _M. sylvaticum_), wood sage (_Teucrium Scorodonia_), and the germander speedwell (_Veronica Chamaedrys_), and the young caterpillars, after feeding for only a week or two, commence their period of hybernation. They resume their feeding in April, and change to the pupal state about the end of May.

The colour of the caterpillar is velvety black, finely dotted with white, and the spines are yellow or orange, tipped with white.

The chrysalis is creamy white, banded and patched with orange and black, and is suspended by anal hooks from a silken, carpet which the caterpillar had spun on the leaf of the food plant.

_The Comma_ (_Vanessa C-Album_)

Leaving the Fritillaries, we now come to a genus (Vanessa) that includes seven most beautiful butterflies, some of which are so common as to be known to almost everybody.

It will be observed that this genus belongs to the same family as the Fritillaries, and we may therefore expect to find that the two groups possess features in common. A slight examination of a few in their different stages will show that this is so. Thus, the perfect insects have only four walking legs, the caterpillars are all spiny, and the chrysalides are angular.

There is another feature concerning the chrysalides worthy of note. Like some of the pupae of the Fritillaries, they are adorned more or less with brilliant metallic spots, sometimes of a rich golden hue, and sometimes resembling burnished silver. Now the word 'chrysalis,' which, as we have already seen, is derived from a Greek word meaning 'gold,' was originally applied to the pupae of some of the Vanessas, on account of their metallic decorations, but it has since been extended to the pupae of all the Lepidoptera, and also to other orders of insects, even though the greater number of them display no tints of the precious metal.

The first member for our consideration is the Comma Butterfly, of which an illustration is given in Plate III, fig. 7. No one could mistake this beautiful butterfly for any other British species, for its wings of rich orange brown, with black and dark-brown markings, are so irregularly scalloped on the hind margins that they present a somewhat ragged appearance. Its name is derived from the fact that a white mark something like the letter C, or, as some have it, like a comma, is distinctly painted on the dark brown of the under side.

This butterfly generally emerges from the chrysalis late in the summer--August and September, but it is often seen earlier, and frequently as late as October. It is a great lover of sweets, and may be found settled on various flowers and fruits. Its chief food plants are the hop (_Humulus Lupulus_), red currant (_Ribes rubrum_), stinging nettle (_Urtica dioica_), and the Elm (_Ulmus campestris_).

It is very abundant in certain districts where hops are grown, but seems to avoid those counties that border the sea. It is widely distributed in the midland counties, and extends to the north of England and into Scotland, but is very capricious in its appearance in many parts.

The eggs are laid in May by females that have hybernated through the winter, and the caterpillars may be found feeding during July and August.

The caterpillar is coloured grey and brown, with a black head, and a broad white stripe down the back of the hindermost segments. The body is armed with a number of spines, some of which are white, and others pale brown.

The chrysalis is a very peculiar object, having two ear-like projections extending forwards from the sides of the head. It has a number of angular projections, and is of an umber-brown colour, finely netted with black lines, and having several spots of a brilliant metallic lustre.

_The Large Tortoiseshell_ (_Vanessa Polychloros_)

Our two tortoiseshells--large and small--are very similar in their colour and markings, and moreover are not always to be distinguished by their size, for specimens of the larger species are sometimes even inferior in this respect to the largest of the smaller species; so, to avoid all risks of mistaken identity, we must look for more reliable marks of distinction between them.

The present species is figured on Plate III (fig. 8), where it will be seen that the ground colour of dark tawny brown is spotted and bordered with black. The border of the hind wings contains a row of crescent-shaped blue spots. The costal margin of the fore wings, between the black patches, is decidedly lighter than the general ground, and is yellow rather than brown. It will be noticed, too, that a black spot lies very near the anal angle of these wings.

The under surface, though by no means brilliant, exhibits a rich blending of various shades of brown.

This butterfly is not known to occur in either Scotland or Ireland, and is by no means common in England. Its chief localities are in the midland and eastern counties.

The perfect insect generally appears about the middle of July, and after spending a month or six weeks on the wing, seeks out a sheltered spot in which to spend the winter. In the spring--April or May--it again takes to flight, and during the latter month the females are busily engaged in the deposition of their eggs.

The caterpillar feeds on the two species of elm (_Ulmus campestris_ and _U. montana_), willow (_Salix alba_), sallow (_S. Caprea_), osier (_S. viminalis_), aspen (_Populus tremula_), and certain fruit trees; and is full grown about midsummer. It is of a tawny grey colour, with a black stripe on each side, and is covered with very small wart-like projections, and the spines are branched.

The chrysalis is of a dull pinkish colour, and may be found on tree trunks, palings, and walls, about the end of June, suspended from a silken carpet by means of its anal hooks.

_The Small Tortoiseshell_ (_Vanessa Urticae_)

_Urticae_ (Plate III, fig. 9) may be distinguished from _Polychloros_ by the _absence_ of the black spot in the anal angle of the fore wings of the latter. It has also a white spot near the tip of each fore wing-between the black border and the first black costal patch. The whole of the base of the hind wing is also black, and the ground colour is decidedly brighter.

It is one of the commonest of all British butterflies, and is to be found more or less abundantly in nearly all parts of the British Isles.

The hybernated perfect insects come out early in the spring, and lay their eggs in close irregular clusters on nettles (_Urtica dioica_ and _U. urens_). Shortly after the gregarious caterpillars may be found on these plants in dense masses. They change to the chrysalis state about the end of May, and from this time there is a continuous succession of butterflies till the end of the summer.

The later specimens, which do not emerge till September or October, spend only a short time on the wing, and then hybernate till the spring, giving rise to the first brood of the following season.

The caterpillar of this species is black above and greyish beneath. It is thickly covered with yellow dots, which are so close together on the back as to form two yellowish stripes, separated only by a fine black line. There are also two yellowish stripes along each side; and the body, as with the rest of this genus, is spiny, the spines in this case being black or very dark green.

The chrysalis is brownish, and spotted with burnished gold in variable quantity--sometimes so plentifully as to cover the greater part of the surface.

_The Peacock_ (_Vanessa Io_)

This is another of our commonest and most beautiful butterflies. Its general appearance is such that it cannot possibly be mistaken for any other. The upper side (Plate IV, fig. 1) is rendered conspicuous by the beautiful eye-like marks at the costal angles of all four wings; and the under surface is very richly decorated with a fine arrangement of black and dark-brown patches and streaks.

Io is very abundant in all parts of England, and is well known in many parts of Scotland and Ireland, but seems to be rare in the extreme north of both of these countries.

Its food plant is the stinging nettle (_Urtica dioica_), and on this the eggs are laid in April by females that have hybernated during the winter.

The caterpillar is full grown at the end of June or beginning of July. It is black, with numerous minute white wart-like projections. Its spines also are black, and its claspers brown.

The chrysalis may be found suspended by the tail on some object in the neighbourhood of the food plant, or sometimes on the food plant itself. It is of a greenish colour, with yellowish patches, but turns darker as the time approaches for the emerging of the perfect insect.

This event takes place in August, and the butterfly, after a brief period on the wing, seeks out a sheltered spot for its winter nap.

_The Camberwell Beauty_ (_Vanessa Antiopa_)

The reader will be fortunate if he succeeds in netting a specimen of this highly prized British butterfly. It derives its popular name from the fact that a few were taken in Camberwell about a hundred and fifty years ago; and since that time it has been seen and taken in variable numbers in several parts of England. So widely distributed, indeed, are its localities, and so few, comparatively, its appearances, that it would be useless to attempt to give any hints as to where it may be looked for. It is, however, a very common butterfly in many continental countries, and foreign specimens may be obtained from any dealer in entomological wares for a few pence each.

This rare British gem is illustrated in fig. 2 of Plate IV. Here it will be seen that nearly the whole of the surface is covered with a rich velvety purple brown, bordered with a black band containing blue spots; and outside this is a border of white, finely dotted and streaked with black. The continental specimens may be easily distinguished from the genuine Britishers by a darker border with a decidedly yellow tinge.

The eggs of this species are generally laid on the young leaves of the willow (_Salix alba_), in the spring, by females that have hybernated, but sometimes the nettle (_Urtica dioica_) and the birch (_Betula alba_) are selected for the food of the larvae.

The caterpillar is black and spiny, and has a row of seven rather large reddish-brown spots on the back, commencing at the fifth segment.

The chrysalis, like those of the other members of this family, is angular and suspended by the 'tail.' The perfect insect appears in August, and may be seen from that month till October.

_The Red Admiral_ (_Vanessa Atalanta_)

There seems to be a tendency with many to under-estimate the beauty of certain natural objects because they happen to be so very common, and this is particularly the case with some of our most familiar butterflies. The beautiful Red Admiral (Plate IV, fig. 3) may possibly suffer in this respect; for, not only is it one of the commonest of our butterflies, but it fearlessly hovers among the flowers of our gardens, often venturing into the very heart of thickly populated towns.

The bright scarlet bands and white blotches of this gorgeous insect stand out boldly on the rich velvety black ground of the wings, and the additional touches of blue in the anal angles of the hind wings add to the effect. The under side of the fore wings is somewhat similar to the upper surface, but is relieved by brown and blue; and this side of the hind wings presents most beautiful and indescribable blendings of various shades of brown, grey, and pink. The female may be distinguished by the presence of a small white spot on the scarlet band of the fore wing.

The eggs are deposited singly on the nettle (_Urtica dioica_) in spring by females that have hybernated through the winter.

The caterpillar always feeds under the cover of a tent made by drawing leaves together. It is spiny, and its colour is usually a greenish or yellowish grey, spotted with black, and striped along the sides with white or yellow. When fully grown it bites the stem of the nettle nearly through a few inches from the top, so that the upper part of the plant bends over the withers. It then constructs a commodious tent by binding the leaves of this drooping portion together, and suspends itself from the roof of this strange home to undergo its metamorphoses.

The change to the chrysalis state takes place in July or August, and the perfect insect may be seen during August, September, and October in almost every part of the British Isles.

_The Painted Lady_ (_Vanessa Cardui_)

Although the time of appearance of this butterfly generally corresponds with that of the last species, yet it is exceedingly variable, so much so that it is impossible to give any fixed period as its season. It is, moreover, very capricious with regard to its localities and its numbers. Sometimes it will turn up unexpectedly in positive abundance in certain localities where previously it had been a mere straggler; and then, for some unaccountable reason, become comparatively scarce for several successive seasons.

The upper surface of this beauty (Plate IV, fig. 4) is adorned with pale red, orange, and black, and with five white spots near the tip of each fore wing. The under side of the fore wings is marked something like the upper, but much of the black is replaced by shades of brown. The hind wings are beautifully variegated beneath with greys and browns, and have a row of eye-like spots near the hind margin.

The eggs of this butterfly are laid singly on various species of thistles, particularly the common field thistle (_Cnicus arvensis_), generally in the month of June.

The caterpillar, which is black above and red beneath, with yellowish stripes along the back and sides, feeds under the cover of a silken web which it constructs among the leaves. It is full grown in July or August, when it suspends itself after the manner of the other Vanessas previous to undergoing its changes.

The chrysalis is angular, coloured with brown and grey, and adorned with brilliant gold spots.

The perfect insect may be seen at large throughout late summer and the autumn, and the eggs are laid by females that survive the winter.

_The White Admiral_ (_Limenitis Sibylla_)

The White Admiral (Plate IV, fig. 5) is neither so pretty nor so common as its red namesake, but it is nevertheless a fine insect, although the chief beauty is reserved for the under surface. Above, the ground colour is a very dark rusty brown, relieved by bands and spots of white. The under surface is beautifully marked with silvery blue, bright orange brown, and white, the latter being arranged just like the corresponding colour on the upper side.

It will be observed that this butterfly does not belong to the _Vanessa_ genus; so, while we may look for _family_ resemblances, we shall observe a few features in which it differs from the preceding species.

It is not by any means abundant, being unknown in Scotland and Ireland, and confined in England almost exclusively to the oak woods of the south, where its food plant--the honeysuckle (_Lonicera Periclymenum_)--abounds. Here it may be seen during July, gracefully sailing among the trees and across the open spaces.

The caterpillar is very different from those of the Vanessas. Its colour is dark green, with a narrow white stripe along each side. There are very conspicuous branched spines on the third and two following segments, also on the eleventh and twelfth; and smaller spines on most of the others. All the spines are of a brownish colour, with pink tips. While it is yet very small it prepares its winter quarters by bending round the remains of a leaf on which it has been feeding, securing the edges by silken threads, and then binding it to the stem of the plant. Soon after, the petiole becomes detached from the stem, and the little caterpillar then rests suspended in its snug swinging cradle, where it remains perfectly secure till the following April, when the warm sun calls it out to feed on the opening leaves. It continues at this till about the beginning of June, and then changes to a beautiful angular and eared chrysalis, of a bright green colour, marked with brown, and having brilliant silvery spots and streaks.

Family--APATURIDAE

_The Purple Emperor_ (_Apatura Iris_)

This grand insect is the only British member of its family, and richly deserves its popular title. The male, which is figured on Plate V (fig. 1), exhibits a most gorgeous imperial purple, which is reflected at certain angles only from the upper surface of his large and powerful wings. His flight is lofty and vigorous, and among the topmost branches of majestic oaks, where he defies the efforts of would-be capturers. Unlike our other butterflies, he is also a very quarrelsome creature, and will not hesitate to fiercely attack a brother Emperor who dares approach the branch he has selected for his throne.

Many attempts have been made to capture this prized creature by means of a large net mounted on the end of a pole twenty or thirty feet in length, but the wielding of such a cumbersome implement against so powerful an insect is no mean task, and but few fall a prey to such a snare. But it so happens that this imperial personage has a very depraved appetite, the indulgence in which has often brought him to ruin. Instead of searching out the sweets so bounteously supplied by the blossoms that are so attractive to other lepidopterous insects, he delights in sipping the waters of the filthiest puddles, and imbibing the odoriferous moisture of dung and the decomposing carcases of animals. So deeply seated is this depravity of taste that the Emperor may be netted with ease while indulging in his sumptuous feast, and is even to be taken at times with the fingers.

The knowledge of this peculiarity of the imperial palate has led entomologists to abandon the awkward net, and to bait the woods with viands that alone can entice his highness from his lofty seat; and many a splendid specimen has been easily captured while enjoying the luxurious juice of a dead cat, stoat, or rabbit, or of a seething mass of pig's dung.

The female is larger than her mate, and does not display the beautiful purple reflections that adorn the male. She is very different, too, in her habits, for she sits nearly all day on high branches of trees, giving her attention to the graver duties of an imperial mother, and is consequently but seldom seem. She lays her eggs in July on the sallow (_Salix Caprea_) or the poplar (_Populus_), and in less than a fortnight the young caterpillars are hatched. They feed on till the leaves are falling, and then fix themselves by their claspers to a silken carpet which they construct on a twig. Here they remain, exposed to all the wintry blasts and frosts, till the new leaves are out in the spring, when they again commence feeding, and continue to do so till they are full grown--in May or June.

The under side of this species is shown in fig. 76, in which will also be observed the eye-like spots of the fore wings which have given rise to its specific name (_Iris_).

The caterpillar (Plate VIII, fig. 5) is a very peculiar creature. Its body is green, with seven oblique yellowish stripes on each side, and it has a pair of horns attached to its head.

The chrysalis (Plate VIII, fig. 10) may be found in June, suspended to the under side of a leaf. It is of an apple-green colour, and still exhibits the oblique stripes which we observed in the caterpillar.

This insect is not to be found in either Scotland or Ireland, but is more or less abundant in many of the oak woods of the midland and southern counties of England. Among the numerous favoured localities, we may mention Colchester, Forest of Dean, Northamptonshire, Ipswich, Huntingdonshire, Buckinghamshire, Epping, Lyndhurst, and the Isle of Wight.