BRITISH AXD EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



23 



less abundantly throughout the British Isles, 

 except in the North of Scotland. It dilTers 

 from the type in having the ground colour 

 darker and the spots both above and beneath 

 yellowish white instead of fulvous. The 

 butterfly appears in April and August. Ac- 

 cording to Dr. Lang, it occurs in many 

 parts of Central France as the Spring brood, 

 being succeeded in the Autumn by the typical 

 ageria. The larva is bright green, finely pu- 

 bescent, with dark green dorsal and lateral 

 stripes, and flesh-coloured spiracles. It feeds 

 on grasses in July and in the Autumn. The 

 pupa is angular, and green or brownish in 

 colour. 



P. achine, Scop, is dull brown, somewhat 

 lighter in the female than in the male. The 

 fore wings have a submarginal row of five 

 round black spots, each ringed with yellow. 

 The hind wings have a similar row of spots, 

 of which the central ones are the largest. 

 The under side is lighter, with three narrow 

 dark lines on the hind margins. The central 

 band of the fore wings is yellow, that of the 

 hind wings white. The spots on the under 

 side have white centres, and each is encircled 

 by a \-ellow ring. The butterfly is found in 

 oak woods in Central Europe in June and July, 

 but is not considered a very common species. 

 The female is fond of resting on trees, and 

 is difficult to find. The caterpillar is green, 

 finely pubescent, with several dark dorsal and 

 lateral lines and yellowish legs. It feeds on 

 Loliiim, and is full grown in May. 



Genus Epinephele, Hiibn. 



Middle-sized butterflies with rounded and 

 slightly dentated wings. The subcostal and 

 median nervures are dilated at the base. The 

 fringes are not chequered. The wings are 

 dark brown above, usually with fulvous bands 

 in the female. There is one eye-spot near 

 the apex of the fore wings, and sometimes 

 another lower down. The hind wings are 

 usually without eyes on the upper surface. 

 The under side of the fore wings is fulvous 

 or greyish yellow, with or without a more or 

 less distinct band. The hind wings are greyish 

 brown or greyish yellow beneath, sometimes 

 with a lighter band, and eyes encircled with 

 yellow. The antennae are gradually produced 



into a narrow club. The larva; are finely 

 pubescent, grey or green, with longitudinal 

 stripes and a globular head. They feed on 

 grass in Spring. The pupae are brown and 

 rounded, with two projections at the head. 

 They are suspended by the tail. 



E. lycaon, Rott. The male is dull brown, 

 with a round black spot near the apex of the 

 fore wings. The female is lighter, with a light 

 fulvous band on the fore wings, containing a 

 white-centred black spot near the apex, and 

 another smaller blind spot below this. The 

 hind wings have a faint liglit submarginal band. 

 The fore wings are ochre -yellow beneath, 

 with dark brown costa and hind margins, and 

 the spots as above. The under side of the 

 hind wings is greyish brown and without 

 spots. The butterfly inhabits Central Europe, 

 but not the British Isles. It appears in July, 

 and frequents woods. The larva is apple-green, 

 with a dark green dorsal stripe and a white 

 and yellow lateral one. It feeds on grasses in 

 Ma}- and June. The pupa is green or brown, 

 with white longitudinal lines. 



E. janira, Linn. The Meadow Brown. 

 PL XII. fig. I. Female la. This maybe said 

 to be the commonest of all our British butter- 

 flies. It abounds in every meadow when the 

 grass is ready for cutting. Its range does not 

 extend high up the mountains. The cater- 

 pillar is green or yellowish, with fine white 

 hairs, a dark green dorsal and narrower lateral 

 stripe, and white legs. It feeds on various 

 grasses, especially the common meadow grass. 

 It emerges from the egg in Autumn, and hiber- 

 nates among the roots of the grass till Spring. 

 The chrysalis is pale green, with several brown- 

 ish spots and streaks. 



E. tithonus, Linn. The Large Heath. 

 PL XII. fig. 2., Female 2a. is a common British 

 butterfly. It appears in July and August, and 

 is found commonly in the neighbourhood of 

 hedges or bushes, especially those overgrown 

 with bramble. The larva is grey, green, or 

 brownish, with a darker dorsal and light lateral 

 line. The head is greyish brown. It feeds 

 on grasses, especially Poa annua, in May. The 

 pupa is green or gre)', with a few blackish 

 streaks on the wing-cases. 



E. hyperanthus, Linn. The Ringlet. PL 

 XII. fig. 3. Under side 3a. is common through- 



