*' 



LEPIDOPTERA. 1 8/ 



Dlour on its sides. It lives in solitude on the stinging-nettle ( Urtica 

 ioica). Its chrysalis is blackish, with golden spots. This mag- 

 ificent insect is common at the end of summer, and easy to catch, 

 f missed once it comes back again almost immediately, and almost 

 lights on the net of the collector. 



The Painted Lady (Vatiessa [Cynf/iia] cardi/i, Fig. 164) owes its 

 emacular name to the beauty of its colours. The upper wings are 

 overed above with tawny spots, rather cerise coloured towards the 

 iterior, and with white spots on the hind margin towards the tip of 

 le wing ; the whole on a lightish ground. The lower wings are of a 

 iddish tawny colour with many black spots, a circular row of which 

 orders the wing. The caterpillar is bristly, brownish, with yellow 

 -teral broken lines. It lives in solitude on many species of thistle, 

 Q the artichoke, the milfoil or yarrow, &c. It makes for itself a 

 eb, rather like a spider's nest, 

 id lives therein. The chrysalis 

 greyish, with numerous golden 

 ots. The perfect insect shows 

 self almost without interruption, 

 cm spring till autumn. It flies 

 pidly, and in certain seasons 'is 

 3undant. 



The Vanessa (GraJ>fa) C. album 

 "ig. 165), or Comma Butterfly, is 

 ommon in parts of England. 

 bove, its wings are tawny, spotted 



ith black. Below, they are more The Comma Butterfly {Vk^tessa C. album). 



r less brown, with different tints, 



id sometimes a little blue. On the under side of the lower wings is 

 white spot of the form of a C. " This spot," says old Geoffroy, 

 caused this butterfly to have the name oi gai7ima given to it, and its 

 3lour of Diable e7irhume {sic), as also the singular cut of its wings, 

 is caused it to be called by others Robert le Diable'' Its caterpillar 

 ves on the nettle, the honeysuckle, the currant, the hazel, and the 

 rn. It is of a reddish brown, with a white band on the back, 

 eaumur calls it the Beadle, comparing it to the church beadles, 

 ho usually dress in glaring colours. 



The brilliant Vanessce, of which we have just briefly described 

 ')me remarkable species, have been the cause of superstitious terror. 

 ■his must at first sight seem incredible, but it has arisen thus : When 

 ley have just quitted the pupa, a red-coloured Hquid drops from 

 Hem. If a great many butterflies are hatched at the same time, and 



