1*28 ON THE GENUS PONTIA. 



terminate in a compressed obconic club ; palpi clothed with scales, and 

 fringed with hairs externally, the terminal joint the longest ; anterior 

 wings nearly three-cornered, the apical angle not very acute ; the posterior 

 wings rounded ; legs alike in both sexes, the claws slightly forked. 



Sp. 1, Pontia brassicce. 



Syn. — Pontia brassicce, Steph. Haust. — Jard. Nat. Lib. Ent. vol. 3, pi. 7, 

 fig. 2. — Papilio brassicce, Linn. — Don. xiii. 29. 446. — Lewin, pi. 25. — 

 Large garden white, Harris. — The Cabbage Butterfly, Renn. Consp. p. 3. 



Sp. char. — Wings 2| in., white ; first pair above with the tip marked with 

 a black band irregularly jagged on the inner edge ; second pair with a 

 black spot near the middle of the anterior edge ; underneath with two 

 black spots. The female is distinguished from the male by having, in ad- 

 dition to the spots just mentioned, two others on the disk of the upper 

 wings. The fringe of the wings is yellowish, slightly waved with black. 



Var. /3. is distinguished from the typical variety by the band on the tip of the 

 wings not being jagged. It is generally rather smaller, but in other 

 respects is not different. 



Var. y. (P. chariclea, Stephens) differs from the preceding in the black band 

 at the tip of the wings being paler ; the outer margin of the wings is 

 adorned with a yellowish fringe. This variety is generally less than the 

 typical one, averaging 2$ in. I have, however, taken specimens 2| in. in 

 expanse of wings. Neither does it appear earlier (as some writers assert) 

 than P. brassicce ; last year I met with a specimen in August, and have 

 frequently taken it in June. 



The caterpillar of P. brassicce is green, having a narrow line of yellow 

 along the back, and another on each side of the belly ; the body pretty 

 thickly covered with black tubercular points, each of which has a hair in 

 the centre ; feeds on Cabbages, Turnips, &c. 



Sp. 2, Pontia rapce. 



Syn. — Pontia rapce, Steph. Haust. — Jard. Nat. Lib. Ent. v. 3, pi. 7, fig. 3. — 

 Papilio rapce, Linn. — Lewin, pi. 26. — Renn. Consp. p. 3. — Pap. alba 

 . media, Ray. — Small garden white, Harris. 



Sp. char. — Closely allied to P. brassicce, but evidently distinct. Wings from 

 1 1 to 2 1, white ; the primary wings marked very similarly to P. brassicce, 

 with a dusky spot at the tip ; the male having a single spot on the disk, 

 and the female two, with an oblong patch behind ; the hinder wings with 

 the usual black spot on the anterior border beneath ; the anterior wings 



