FRITILLARIES, VANESSAS, PURPLE EMPEROR 165 



This butterriy generally emerges from the chrysalis late in the 

 summer — August and September, but it is often seen earlier, and 

 frequenth- as late as October. It is a great lover of sweets, and 

 may be fomid settled on various flowers and fruits. Its chief food 

 plants are the hop [Humulus Lajnclus), red currant (Eihes 

 rubrmn), stinging nettle {Urtica dioica), and the Elm {Uhiius 

 cainpestris). 



It is very abundant in certain districts wliere liops are grown, 

 but seems to avoid those counties that border the sea. It is widely 

 distributed in the midland counties, and extends to the north of 

 England and into Scotland, but is very capricious in its appearance 

 in many parts. 



The eggs are laid in May by females that have liybernated 

 through the winter, and the caterpillars may be found feeding 

 during July and August. 



The catei'pillar is coloured grey and brown, with a black head, 

 and a broad white stripe down the back of the hindermost segments. 

 The body is armed with a number of spines, some of which arc 

 white, and others pale brown. 



The chrysalis is a very peculiar object, having two ear-like pro- 

 jections extending forwards from the sides of the head. It has a 

 number of angular projections, and is of an umber-brown colour, 

 finely netted with black lines, and having several spots of a brilliant 

 metallic lustre. 



The Large Tortoiseshell (Vanessa PoIycJtIoros) 



Our two tortoiseshells — large and small— are very similar in 

 their colour and markings, and moreover are not always to be 

 distinguished by their size, for specimens of the larger species are 

 sometimes even inferior in this respect to the largest of the smaller 

 species ; so, to avoid all risks of mistaken identity, we nuist look for 

 more reliable marks of distinction between them. 



The present species is figured on Plate III (fig. 8), where it will 

 be seen that the ground colour of dark tawny brown is spotted and 

 bordered with black. The border of the hind wings contains a row 

 of crescent-shaped blue spots. The costal margin of the fore wings, 

 between the black patches, is decidedly lighter than the general 

 ground, and is yellow rather than brown. It will be noticed, 

 too, that a black spot lies very near the anal angle of these 

 wings. 



