found in the larvae, which, although spined in common with 

 the two former genera, have the neck or first segment free from 

 spines, which is not the case in the Fritillaricc. The remark- 

 able anterior feet, which are more beautifully formed in this 

 genus than in any other, are not uncommon amongst the Pa- 

 jyilionidce ; neither are the appendages to the posterior ones 

 confined to this group ; these appendages, which appear to 

 beloug to the pulvilli, (and probably supply the deficiency or 

 want of claws in the anterior pair,) have erroneously been 

 described by De Geer and other authors as double nails. 



Our genus may be divided, 1st, into those with irregularly 

 lobed wings, caterpillars gregarious with bituberculate heads. 



1. Vanessa C. album Lin?i., Don. Brit. Ins. v. 6. p^. 199. 

 2ndly, with angulated wings, caterpillars gregarious. 



2. Urticaa Linn., Don. Brit. Ins. v. 2. pi. 55. 



3. Polychloros Linn., Don. Brit. Ins. v. 8. ;:>/. 278. 



4. Antiopa Linn., Don. Brit. Ins. v. 3. pi. 89. 



5. lo Linn., Don. Brit. Ins. v. 6. pi. 206. 



3rdly, with the inferior wings rounded and indented, caterpil- 

 lars solitary. 



6. Atalanta Linn., Don. Brit. Ins. v. 8. ^?Z. 260. 



7. Cardui Linn., Don. Brit. Ins. v. 9. pi. 292. 

 The fine species figured, which belongs to the most superb 



genus of British Papilionidcc, is rendered rare and remarkable 

 in this country by its periodical appearance, the cause of which 

 has hitherto never been ascertained : the most probable con- 

 jecture is (as Mr. Haworth has observed) that " their eggs in 

 this climate, like the seeds of some vegetables, may occasionally 

 lie dormant for several seasons, and not hatch, until some ex- 

 traordinary but imdiscovered coincidences awake them into ac- 

 tive life." Until four or five years since V. Antiope had not been 

 seen for nearly forty years, when it was exceedingly abundant 

 in different parts of the kingdom. In the year 1819 a few 

 were taken in Suffolk, and Mr. Samouelle captured one the 

 following spring that had lived through the winter, since which 

 period it has not been seen. It has received its English name 

 from having been first observed at Camberwell, whither it 

 might have been attracted by willows, upon which the larvse 

 feed, and are full grown the beginning of July ; the butterfly 

 is found the beginning of August; it frequents woods, and is 

 sti'ong and rapid in flight. 



V. Atalanta in its perfect state is sometimes very destruc- 

 tive to fruit, particularly cherries, extracting the juice from 

 those that are ripe, probably taking advantage of previous in- 

 juries occasioned by birds, wasps and flies. 



The caterpillar, which is copied from H'ubner, is drawn 

 upon a piece of Salix Forbi/ana (Basket Osier). 



