224 Sketches of the Natural History 



Art. IX. Sketches of the Natural History of my Neighbourhood. 

 By C. Conway, Esq., of Pontnewydd Works, Monmouthshire. 



No. I. Butterflies. 



1. Gone'pteryx rhamni, Brimstone. — This insect is abun- 

 dant here, as I presume it is in most other localities. I am, 

 however, doubtful whether it be double-brooded or not. The 

 female is said to be greenish white, and this is the fact; but 

 are all the early ones females ? for I do not recollect a single 

 instance of my spring captures of this fly that was not of 

 this colour. There is another observation which I have 

 always made on these early flies, and which, I presume, has 

 not before attracted attention, for I never saw any record of 

 it. When butterflies repose, their wings are closed vertically, 

 and the inferior wings overlap the superior. In examining 

 the early captured specimens of the G. rhamni, I have always 

 found that portion of the superior wing which has thus been 

 covered to be of a much deeper tinge than the other parts. 

 From these facts I would enquire, are not the early specimens 

 of G. rhamni individuals which have outlived the winter ? 

 The pale portions of the wings I take to arise from exposure 

 to atmospheric influence, and that portion which is of a 

 deeper hue, I conclude, has retained its original colour, by 

 being protected from the effect of the atmosphere by the 

 overlapping of the inferior wings. 



2. Colias Edusa, Clouded Sulphur. — This fly is rare in my 

 locality. I have never captured it myself, but I have a pair 

 which were taken some years ago, by a neighbour. 



3. Pierh cratce s gi, Black-veined White. — This fine fly is, 

 in general, plentiful in this neighbourhood : owing, however, 

 to the unfavourableness of the last season (the beginning of 

 June), my captures were not so numerous as usual. 



4. Pontia. brassica?, Cabbage ; 5. P. rapce, Small white ; 

 6. P. rdpi, Green-veined white ; 7. P* cardamines, Orange 

 tip. — All these are very common. Perhaps the present is as 

 good an opportunity as I can have for making a few observ- 

 ations on female butterflies. Professor Rennie says (Insect 

 Miscellanies, p. 215.), speaking of the orange-tip butterfly, 

 " while every meadow is swarming with males, we seldom 

 see more than one or two females in a whole year, and those 

 which are observed are seldom on the wing." The professor 

 again (Alphabet of Insects, p. 82.) observes, " unlike snails 

 and worms, among which there is no distinction between the 

 males and females, insects [of course, including butterflies] 

 have the two sexes as distinct as the larger animals, and in 

 many respects are similar to birds, as far as pairing is con- 



