PEACOCK'S EYE AND ALDERMAN. 127 



A glorious insect of the same tribe is the Vanessa Io, or 

 "Peacock's Eye." Its prevailing hue is a rich brown red, in- 

 clining to purple, each wing being adorned by a large eye or 

 ocellus,, with a dark pupil, margined by a crescent or semi- 

 circle of blue and yellow. 



The caterpillar, which is shining black, studded with white 

 points, is, like the last, a feeder on the nettle, and is found, 

 commonly in July, throughout the south of England. An old 

 naturalist styles this lo-Butterfly, the Omnium Regina, and 

 she well deserves the title. The above is an autumn Butterfly, 

 and so also is the Vanessa Atalanta, known, likewise, as the 

 " Alderman/' the " Admiral," and the " Admirable "* and 

 admirable truly are " the colours " displayed by this " Admiral 

 of the Bed," as he proudly unfurls them in the August or 

 September sun, and challenges the autumn flowers to eclipse 

 his glory. Nor is there one among them neither velvet 

 dahlia, nor golden mary-flower, nor many-coloured aster, which 

 can boast of hues at once so rich and varied. The deep 

 black of his upper wings is enlivened by a broad cross band 

 of brilliant scarlet, white spots, and a scalloped edging of the 

 same ; while on the secondary pinions the scarlet, which 

 instead of a bar forms a border, is enriched by a line of 

 black spots, a black and white scalloped edging, and a small 

 blue crescent at the inner extremity of both wings. Their 



* Vignette to Butterflies in General, Vol. i. 

 VOL. II. I 



