our Butterflies, tlie caterpillars of many of them being the 

 greatest pests amongst our vegetables, by feeding upon and 

 destroying the different varieties of cabbages cultivated in our 

 kitchen gardens. 



As the Genus now stands, it may be divided into those with 

 the wings rounded, P. Brassica L. ; liapa L. ; Na-pi L. ; — the 

 others having the A^^ngs variegated beneath, P. Cardamines L. ; 

 Dcqilidice L. ; the palpi of the first division have the terminal 

 joint longer than either of the other joints ; whereas the terminal 

 joint is shorter than the second in the two species of the second 

 division, and P. Cardamines has two additional nerves extending 

 to the costa of the superior wings. P. Sinapis I have ventured 

 to remove from the Genus Pontia, the form of the wings as well 

 as the total disagreement of the nerves rendering such a step 

 necessary ; and I am borne out by the extraordinary ditfcrcnce in 

 the palpi, which are short, Hat, the first joint being very large, 

 conic, second small, quadrate, the third very small, nearly globose. 

 Although I have availed myself of the inimitable and elegant dis- 

 sections of Mons. Savigny to illustrate the subject, it has not been 

 done without the most careful comparison of them with nature ; 

 and I shall take advantage of tliis opportunity of correcting an 

 error in his first plate, the figures relating to P. Baplidice being 

 numbered 2. instead of 3. which error is carried through the 

 plate. 



Pieris Baplidice, like many other insects, seems to be periodi- 

 cal in its appearance. It was taken in the days of Ray, by Ver- 

 non near Cambridge ; by Petiver, near Hampstead : Lewin also 

 notices it as British. By its trivial name we may infer it has been 

 taken near Bath; a faded specimen was taken in June 1802, in 

 Whitewood near Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, by the late Dr. 

 Abbott; and another (a female) upon the heights near Dover 

 Castle, August 14, 1818, by J. F. Stephens, Esq., to whom I 

 have to acknowledge my obligations for the loan of the specimen 

 figured, and also for the handsome manner in which he has in 

 this as upon all other occasions rendered me every assistance in 

 the progress of this volume. 



Godart, in the Encyclopedie Methodiqne, informs us that " P. 

 Baplidice is very common in Europe. It inhabits woods, and 

 meadows particularly : it first appears in April and May, and 

 afterwards in August. The caterpillar feeds upon many species 

 of cabbage, upon llcseda Itdea, and according to Hiibner upon a 

 wild Mustard, the seeds of which it eats. Its body is of an 

 obscure blue embroidered with yellow and spotted with black ; 

 its head is of a light green with yellow spots and black dots. 

 The chrysalis is greenish or ash-coloured, according to the age." 



Reseda liitea (Base Rocket, or Wild Mignonette) is figured 

 with the insect. 



