166 BBITISH BUTTERFLIES 



The unde-r surface, though by no means brilHant, exhibits a rich 

 blending of various shades of brown. 



Tliis butterfly is not known to occur in either Scotland or 

 Ireland, and is by no means common in England. Its chief loca- 

 lities are in the midland and eastern counties. 



The perfect insect generally appears about the middle of July, 

 and after spending a month or six weeks on the wing, seeks out a 

 sheltered spot in which to spend the winter. In the spring — April 

 or May — it again takes to tlight, and during the latter month the 

 females are busily engaged in the deposition of their eggs. 



The caterpillar feeds on the two species of elm (Ulmus cmn- 

 pestris and XJ. moiitana), willow {Salix alba), sallow {S. Ca^rrca), 

 osier {S. viminalis), aspen {Pojndiis tremuJa), and certain fruit 

 trees ; and is full grown about midsummer. It is of a tawny grey 

 colour, with a black stripe on each side, and is covered with very 

 small wart-like projections, and the spines are branched. 



The chrysalis is of a dull pinkish colour, and may be found on 

 tree trunks, palings, and walls, about the end of June, suspended 

 from a silken carpet by means of its anal hooks. 



The Small Tortuiseshcll {Vanessa Urticec) 



Urticce (Plate III, fig. 9) may be distinguished from Po///c7;Zoros 

 by the absence of the black spot in the anal angle of the fore wings 

 of the latter. It has also a white spot near the tip of each fore 

 wing —between the black border and the first black costal patch. 

 The whole of the base of the hind wing is also black, and the ground 

 colour is decidedly brighter. 



It is one of the commonest of all British butterflies, and is to be 

 found more or less abundantly in nearly all parts of the British 

 Isles. 



The hybernated perfect insects come out early in the spring, and 

 lay their eggs in close irregular clusters on nettles (Urtica dioica, 

 and U. iirens). Shortly after the gregarious caterpillars may be 

 found on these plants m dense masses. They change to tlie 

 chrj'salis state about the end of May, and from this time there is a 

 continuous succession of butterflies till the end of the summer. 



The later specimens, which do not emerge till September or 

 October, spend only a short time on the wing, and then hybernate 

 till the spring, giving rise to the first brood of the following season. 



The caterpillar of this species is black above and greyish beneath. 



