J06 TORTOISE-SHELL BUTTERFLY. 



sleeper for still sleeping on. There ! now she has settled, not 

 on the elder clusters, nor yet on the hazle flowers, but on this 

 leafless lyiwthorn, and here do her " golden pinions ope and 

 close," as if she designed to enhance their living splendour by 

 contrast with the death-like branches. Well ! be thou But- 

 terfly of " devil " or of " witch," as our brethren of Scotland 

 are wont to call thee (we suppose for thy winter-braving 

 hardihood), thou art a glorious creature, and thy tamer name 

 of " little Tortoise-shell " does but sorry justice to thy glowing 

 beauty. 



Our pencil has not done thee more, and were it endowed 

 with tenfold skill, we should yet exclaim with fit humility, oh ! 



" \Vho can paint like nature ? >: 



A verbal portrait, should we attempt minute description of thy 

 bright blue crescents and thy golden hair, would do thee still 

 less credit. We shall only, therefore, sketch broadly thy most 

 striking features, that our friends, wherever or whenever met 

 with, may recognise at once the numerous members of thy 

 handsome family. 



This "little Tortoise-shell, " which in common with others of 

 her hardy sisterhood has survived the winter, her radiant 

 robes laid up in ivy or some other close green wardrobe, belongs 

 to the beautiful genus " Vanessa" or Fan-winged Butterflies, 

 which, while in then' state of spiny Caterpillars, feed for the 

 most part upon nettles. They are distinguished by their 

 worm rich colours, their angular scalloped wings, with points 



