BRITISH AND EUROPi AN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



V. vau-album, W. V. has the wings deeply 

 dentated. Upper side deep fulvous, with black 

 spots similar to polychloros, a dark brown stripe 

 on the hind margin and a white spot in front 

 of the costal angle. The under side is brown- 

 ish, with a white V-shaped mark in the middle. 

 It is found in Eastern Europe in August 

 and September. The larva is brown, with an 

 ochre-yellow dorsal stripe divided by a dark 

 line, a yellow lateral line, and yellow spines 

 tipped with black. It lives gregariousl}' on 

 Populus tvemula in the Summer. 



V. xanthomelas, W. V. PI. VIII. fig. 2. 

 is very like the last species, but is distin- 

 guished by the wings being more angular and 

 deeply dentated, and of a redder colour. 

 There is a whitish spot near the tip of the 

 fore wings. It appears in July in wooded 

 places in the Eastern parts of Europe, and 

 is common in Austria. The larva is bluish 

 black, dotted with white, and has a white 

 lateral and dorsal stripe and black spines. 

 It feeds gregariously on willows in May 

 and June. 



V. urticae, Linn. The Small Tortoise- 

 shell. PI. VII. fig. 6. Larva 6a. Pupa 6b. is 

 one of our commonest British butterflies, 

 and is found from early Spring to Autumn 

 in gardens, fields, waste places, etc. The 

 larva feeds, in June and July, gregariously on 

 nettle. The pupa is to be found hanging on 

 fences or walls. 



V. io, Linn. The Peacock Butterfly. 

 PI. VIII. fig. 3. Larva 3a. is also of general 

 distribution in the British Isles as far as the 

 South of Scotland. It appears, like the 

 other species, with the first warm days of 

 Spring, and frequents gardens, woods, and 

 lanes. The larva lives in large communities 

 on nettles in May and June. 



V. antiopa, Linn. The Cambcrwell 

 Beauty. PI. VIII. fig. 4. Larva 4a. This 

 beautiful insect is found over the greater part 

 of the Northern Hemisphere, in gardens and 

 on river banks. It is rare in England, but 

 specimens are recorded from nearly every 

 county. In some countries, as in Switzerland, 

 it is as common as the Peacock or Red 

 Admiral. Hibernated specimens may be met 

 with in the first warm days of Spring, but 

 its proper time of appearance is in Autunm. 



The larvae occur in July on willow and birch; 

 they are gregarious in their habits. 



V. atalanta, Linn. The Red Admiral. 

 PI. VIII. fig. 5., one of our most showy 

 butterflies, occurs more or less commonly all 

 over the British Isles. It is found from July 

 to October in woods, meadows, and gardens. 

 The larva is greyish green sprinkled with black, 

 with a- yellowish lateral stripe, and black or 

 brown spines. The head is black and rather 

 shiny. It feeds on nettle in May and June 

 and again in the Autumn. 



V. cardui, Linn. The Painted Lady. 

 PI. VIII. fig. 6. is found all over Europe, and 

 indeed in every part of the world except in 

 the extreme North. In Britain it is generally 

 distributed, but usually is not abundant, and 

 is much commoner in some years than others. 

 It frequents flowery meadows, woods, etc. 

 throughout the Summer. The larva is black, 

 the spines paler, with black tips and branches. 

 There is generally a yellowish stripe on the 

 back and sides. It lives in communities, on 

 thistles, nettles, etc., during the Summer and 

 Autumn. 



Genus Melltsea, Fabr. 



Small or middle-sized butterflies, fulvous 

 on the upper surface, with rows of square black 

 spots. On the under surface the fore wings 

 are paler, with dark spots or markings. The 

 hind wings are brown or brownish red, with 

 three dark-edged light bands, which may be 

 replaced by spots on the hind margin. The 

 larvae are cylindrical, with spinj- tubercles, and 

 live gregariously under a fine web, on low 

 plants. The pupae are short and thick. The 

 butterflies frequent meadows near woods and 

 waste flowery places in Spring and Summer. 



M. Cynthia, Hiibn. is found in the higher 

 Alps of Switzerland in July and August. The 

 male is bluish white, with two marginal 

 rows of orange spots, bordered with brown, on 

 the fore wings and two similar orange spots 

 in the discoidal cell, with a short brown bantl 

 beyond them. The hind wings have a single 

 row of orange spots on the hind margins, each 

 with a black dot, and there is a brown patch 

 at the base, enclosing two white spots. The 

 female is like the male, but dull fulvous instead 

 of wliite. 



