222 Lloyd's natural history. 



Butterflies P2ur. p. 65, pi. 14, fig. 4, pi. 16, fig. 4 (transf.) 



(1881) ; Barrett, Lepid. of Brit. Isl. i. p. 40, pi. 7, figs, i, 



\a-d (1892); Buckler, Larv?e of Brit. Lepid. i. p. 145, 



pi. I, fig 2 (1886). 



Rhodocera rhanuii, Boisduval, Spec. Gen. Lepid. i. p. 602, 



pi. 6, fig. 7 (1836); Newman, Brit. Butterflies, p. 147 



(1881). 



The Brimstone Butterfly, which measures two and a quarter 



or two and a half inches across the wings, may at once be 



recognised by its arched and pointed fore-wings and its slightly 



tailed hind-wings. They are of a bright sulphur-yellow in the 



male, and greenish-yellow in the female, with a small orange 



spot at the end of the cell in all the wings, and with small 



ferruginous spots at the ends of the nervules. The under side 



is of a somewhat glaucous-greenish. The anlennse are red, 



and the thorax is clothed with long white silky hairs. (A 



side view of the bifid claws will be found in vol. i. pi. i, 



fig- i3)- 



The following account of its transformations is given by 

 Stephens. " The caterpillar is green, with a paler line on each 

 side of the belly, and very small scale-like black dots on the 

 back, which give that part a bluish aspect ; the fore part of the 

 body is thick and rounded, the hind part compressed. It feeds 

 upon the Rhamims catharticus (or buck-thorn) and the Rh. 

 frangulus (berry-bearing alder) ; and is said to occupy three 

 or four days in changing to the pupa state ; the pupa or 

 chrysalis is very gibbous in the middle, acuminated before, and 

 green with a clearer line on each side, and a reddish or fulvous 

 spot in the middle ; it is vertically suspended on a perpendicular 

 branch, with a loose silken streak round its middle. The perfect 

 insect is produced in about fifteen days." 



The Brimstone miy be considered as the typical Butterfly 

 par excellence^ for it must have been this species rather than the 



