THE SATYRIDI. 85 



The fine Purple Emperor, Apainra iris, whosQ caterpillars live 

 on the oak trees, is one of the gems of all collections. Its 

 magnificence is greater than its gentility, for Mr. Stainton accuses 

 this monarch of the Lepidoptcra of having a penchant for home- 

 made gooseberry wine, and for leaving his realms in the air in 

 order to seek the " shades " of a gooseberry bush. M. Pierret 

 says it condescends to still lower tastes, and the only satisfac- 

 tion is that they lead it to destruction. All these species of 

 the old genus Nymphalis prefer sucking very nasty things or 

 the sweeter sap and gum of plants and trees to enjoying the 

 nectar of flowers. 



The Satyridi are world-wide butterflies. In Europe they 

 are to be found on open plains, arid downs, the road side, 

 forests, and even on the mountains amidst the everlasting snow. 

 From spring to autumn the tawny, grey, and brown butterflies 

 are constantly flying here and there, but for short distances, 

 wherever there is the rankest and commonest vegetation. Their 

 caterpillars live on the different kinds of grasses, and although 

 they must be very common they are very rarely seen except 

 by those who can look for them scientifically. They do not feed 

 upon the slender grass leaves at all during the day, but hide 

 themselves up at the bottom of the plant, with whose colours their 

 tints harmonise. At night-time, however, they move for short 

 distances and eat. This is an interesting habit, and contrasts 

 with that of the majority of their fellow caterpillars. The larvae 

 of the Satyridi are all shaped alike. The body is rather hairy, 

 narrowed at each end, and the last segment is furnished with 

 two hooks. The pupae are short and well set, and do not exhibit 

 any of the strange-shaped projections which are common in the 

 chrysalides of the NympJialidi. 



A pretty butterfly {Arge galathed), the Marbled White, is 

 rather common in the middle of summer in the whole of central 

 and northern Europe, and it is our commonest representative of 

 the Satyridi. The caterpillar lives upon some of the simplest 

 grasses, and frequents the Timothy grass in England. The but- 

 terfly has the very delicate antennae hardly swollen at their ends. 

 The black and white ornamentation of the perfect insect is very 

 distinctive, and the accompanying plate shows the fusiform cater- 



