Lisects, 52S 



formed me, the tract of land was submitted ,to the action of 

 fire, and the whole surface burnt with a view to agricultural 

 improvement. I need hardly add, that, after this operation, 

 the coppers were no longer to be met with in that particular 

 locality. I am not sufficiently acquainted with the natural 

 history of the insect to say in what particular state the insect 

 passes through the winter ; probably in the egg or larva state, 

 as the butterfly appears in July. 



2'he earliest Vernal Appearance of certain Species of Butter-^ 

 Jiy in Britain, (p. 249.) — Mr. Brown alludes (p. 249.) to my 

 having instanced the 18th of March as the earliest date at 

 which I had ever known a papilio issue from the chrysalis. 

 This year an earlier instance presented itself. A small spe- 

 cimen of Pontic rapae (P. Metr« Stephens) was discovered in 

 my scullery window on the 27th or 28th of February, evi- 

 dently fresh from the chrysalis. Being introduced into the 

 drawingroom by a very young entomologist, it was lost sight 

 of for a few days ; so that I did not myself see it till the 3d 

 of March, when it was again discovered and turned up. The 

 same individual specimen, known by a peculiar mark on the 

 wing, was observed flying about at large, in the garden, on 

 the 15th of March. 



With respect to the Butterflies *which appear in the early 

 Spring (p. 247.), I am disposed to think that, with us, the 

 majority of them are such as have been produced late in the 

 autumn, and have survived the winter in the winged state. 

 Mr. Brown is led to the conclusion that, in Switzerland, at 

 least, " the early flight of Gonepteryx rhamni consists 

 entirely of newly excluded males." I am not prepared to say 

 that the case may not be the same also with this species here 

 in England. Possibly, however, some of our early specimens 

 may be such as have hybernated ; while others may have burst 

 from the chrysalis in the spring. The earliest specimen of 

 G. rhamni I observed in 1833 was on the 31st of March ; a 

 female, which, from its worn condition, I should not judge to 

 have been a newly excluded fly. I feel confident that Vanessa 

 To, c. ^Ibum, Polychl6ro5, and urticae hybernate, at least in 

 this country. A winter seldom passes without an example or 

 two of the latter insect being found in a half torpid state in 

 our windows. If these insects be in good condition when they 

 retire to rest in autumn, there will be but little wear and tear 

 to injure their wings during their brumal retreat, and prevent 

 them appearing fresh when they come forth again in spring. 

 So far as my observation goes, the early specimens of Va- 

 ness<^ generally seem somewhat faded in their colours, and to 

 want the exquisite freshness and brilliancy of newly excluded 



