72 LEPIDOPTERA. 



Perhaps one of the most cliarming of the second sub- 

 family is the Sulphur or Brimstone butterfly {Goiwpteryx 

 Ehamni), which receives its generic name from the 

 tips of the wings being sharply and prettily angled. 

 The male insect is more brightly sulphur than the female. 

 A small orange spot is to be seen near the centre of each 

 wing. The specific name of the Rharani is given to it 

 because the larva feeds on the buckthorn. 



Tlie Brimstone is very common in Shropshire. It ap- 

 pears very early in the year, mild sunny days of March and 

 even February tempting it to fly abroad. These early 

 visitors are autumn-bred individuals which had hiber- 

 nated. A drawing of the Brimstone butterfly will be 

 seen on Plate III., Fig. 2. 



The common Whites, so abundant everywhere, are the 

 Pieris birissica (large white), the P. rapce (small white), 

 and the P. Napi (the green-veined white). The larvaB 

 are more or less green or yellow with black spots, and 

 feed on cabbage and other cruciferae. 



The large White is the most destructive to cabbages, 

 and should always be destroyed, if possible. Children 

 should be encouraged to catch them and crush them, 

 and not blamed for killing the "poor little pretty but- 

 terflies." " Handsome is what handsome does," and the 

 converse to this is, in the same sense, equally true, 

 " Ugly is that ugly does." Fortunately, we have in nature 

 a powerful destructive agent in the little Ichneumon fly, 

 the Microg aster glomeratus, which lays its eggs within the 

 body of the cabbage-eater, where they turn into small 

 larvae, which feed on the fat of their host, who, bad luck 

 to him, goes on eating faster than ever. Retribution, 

 however, must come in time, and when the cabbage- 



