46 HAUSTELLATA.— LEPIDOPTERA. 



covered with scales, with a few hairs. Caterpillars soHtary, with a smooth 

 head ; feed chiefly upon seeds. 



Sp. 6- Atalanta. Alts supra nigris lunulis dlbis marginatis, anticis fascia 

 ruhrd transversi subinterrifpt/i utrinque, posticis marginali nigro-macnlatd. 

 (Exp. alar. 2 unc. 6 lin. — 3 unc.) 



Pa. Atalanta. Linne. — Lewin, pi. 7. — Va. Atalanta. Steph. Catal. 



Wings above intense deep silken-black : the anterior with a central bent, some- 

 what interrupted, orange-red band, sometimes bearing a round white spot 

 towards the anal angle of the wing : between this band and the tip is a group 

 of six white spots and dots, the largest of which is on the costa : between 

 these and the margin is a slight bluish wave : the posterior wings have a 

 broad orange-red border, with a transverse series of distinct black triangular 

 dots, and some black spots on the ciUa ; the tip of the inner areolet is varied 

 with bluish, and the black dot in the following areolet is also, in fine speci- 

 mens, externally edged with blue : beneath, the anterior wings have the 

 central band interrupted, whitish towards the anal angle of the wing, and 

 towards the base throwing off a slender waved branch, between which and 

 the base is a blue streak : between the band and the apex of the wing are 

 other blue streaks ; beyond these, the three larger spots of the upper surface 

 are depicted ; in the place of two others are two imperfect oceUi, with a white 

 pupil and black and gray iris, and in lieu of the sixth is an irregular ochra- 

 ceous lunule ; the costal areolet is black, marbled with blue : the posterior 

 wings are most beautifully varied and mottled with black, brown, and pale 

 fulvous, or tawny, with a pale triangular spot in the middle at the anterior 

 margin, a band of obsolete obscure oceUi parallel with the hinder margin, 

 and a streak of silken blue between this and the margin : aU the wings, both 

 above and below, are fringed with white, interrupted at the nervures with 

 black : the body is black above, grayish beneath ; the antennae are black, 

 annulated with white, vsdth the tip yellowish: the palpi are black above, 

 white at the sides, and yellowish beneath. 



The caterpillar is greenish, or dusky, with a yellowish spotted hue on each side : 

 it feeds on the Urtica urens and U. dioica, preferring the seeds. The chry- 

 salis is grayish, or dusky, with gold dots. 



This common species is one of the most splendid of the British 

 butterflies; the intense black of the upper surface of the wings being 

 beautifully relieved by the red fascia and pure white spots, and 

 beneath, the marmoration of the posterior wings defies the efforts 

 of the finest pencil. It frequents lanes where nettles abound, 

 throughout the southern part of Britain, appearing about the mid- 

 dle of August. It is said to be very destructive to cherries and 

 other fruits. Mr. Haworth informs me that he once met with them 

 so abundant, that above a dozen might be taken within the compass 

 of two or three square yards. 



