19C BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 



CHAPTER XVI 



THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY AND THE SKIPPERS 



Family --E r ycinid.t: 



Tlir Diilr of BiirgiDuhj (Nrnieohiiis Lncina) 



The family Erycinidce, has only one British representative, com- 

 monly known as the Diike of Burgundy Fritillary, but although 

 this butterfly certainly resembles the Fritillaries in general appear- 

 ance (see figs. 9 and 10 of Plate VII), its liabits and life history 

 present many points of difference from these. 



The upper side is chequered with black and tawny brown, the 

 fringe is white and barred with dark brown, and a row of tawny 

 spots with black centres border the hind margins. The under side 

 has two rows of white spots, one near the base, and the other across 

 the centre of each wing. 



The male has only four legs adapted for walking, but the female 

 has six. 



The butterfly' is oi^t in Maj^ and Jiine, and frequents the paths 

 and open spaces of woods, chiefly in the south of England, but it 

 has been taken in some of the noi'thern counties. 



The caterpillar (Plate VIII, fig. 6) is not spiny like those of the 

 true Fritillaries, but more closely resembles tliose of the Blues, 

 being somewhat of the form of a woodlouse. It is reddish brown, 

 with tufts of hair, black spiracles, and a dark line down the ]>ack. 

 It feeds on the primrose {Primula acaiilis) and the cowslip 

 (P. vcris), and may be found during June, July and August. 



When fully grown, the caterpillar secures itself to a leaf or stem 

 by means of its anal claspers and a silken cord roimd its body, and 

 changes to a short, thick, hairy and light-coloured chrysalis (Plate 

 VIII, fig. 11), which is marked with several black spots. In this state 

 it spends the winter, and emerges early in the following sunmier. 



