70 -REV. C. U. PERKINS — BRITISn BUTTEIIFLIES. 



Vanessa Ainlanta, the red admiral, is the next, one of my 

 favourites, for its bohlness and familiarity. Though strong on 

 the wing as any, it is easily caught, for it sits upon the leaf or 

 trunk of the tree where it has just settled in the sun with such 

 confidence that you may often place your net close against it 

 without disturbing it. I remember well one once flying on my 

 hand and basking there as I held it in the sun for a considerable 

 time, and though I blew it off several times, it retiirned again and 

 again. I need not describe its colour, for it is so common that it is 

 well known ; so now to its congener, Vanessa lo, the peacock, of 

 which I shall only say that you cannot fail to see it every season, 

 and it will be your own fault, should you require it, if you do not 

 get it. And this brings me to a very beautiful insect of far rarer 

 occurrence amongst us, Vanessa Antiopa, the Camberwell beauty, of 

 large size, having chocolate-coloured wings with purple blushing 

 through, and edged with a broad creamy white band This insect, 

 as I have said of Col/as JEdusa, is very irregular in its appearance, 

 some years being almost common and putting in an appearance far 

 and wide. In 1789 and 1790 it was seen in great numbers 

 together in Surrey. In 1820 it is reported of it that great 

 numbers strewed the shore at Seaton Carew, in Durham, alive and 

 dead, from which time till 1858 it has never been observed in any 

 number, but in the last-mentioned year I find in my own notes that 

 it was captured in considerable quantities again. It may be inter- 

 esting to some to know that Mr. Humphreys, an admirable autho- 

 rity, saw unmistakably a specimen of this insect on the road between 

 this town and St. Albans on the r2th September, 1855, but through 

 want of apparatus and the impatience of a travelling companion, he 

 failed to catch it. Vanessa polycliloros and Vanessa Urticce, the 

 great and little tortoise-shells, are much alike, — the smaller one 

 common everywhere, the larger not uncommon in tbis neighbour- 

 hood, should both be readily obtained. If you know of any elm 

 trees which overhang a wall or wooden paling, you may almost 

 invariably find the chrysalis of the larger one suspended to the 

 coping by the tail, about midsummer, which is the best way of 

 obtaining fine specimens ; but be careful how you pull it off, for 

 the silken threads which suspend it are so strong, that the pupa is 

 often injured by the act, unless very carefully performed. Grapta 

 C. album, the comma, I now arrive at. It derives its name from a. 

 silver C-like mark upon the underside of the lower wings. The 

 wings of this insect are peculiar for their deep irregular indenta- 

 tions, which to the inexperienced eye give it a ragged appearance, 

 until more closely observed. This insect is sufficientlv common in 

 Gloucestershire, on either side of the Severn, and I found a 

 favourite resting-place, some hexagon netting with which we used 

 to protect our wall fruit. This against a west wall on a fine after- 

 noon in July would almost always produce a specimen, if required. 

 I have never seen it here, but report says it used to be very common 

 round London, so it is not, I think, altogether vain to expect it at 

 this short distance from our overgrown metropolis. 



