LEPIDOPTERA. 73 



eater should turn into a chrysalis, the parasitic guests 

 are thinking of changing too, so tliey burst through the 

 skin of their host, and leave him to perish. 



In the Nymphalidce the imago has only four legs fitted 

 for walking, the first pair being rudimentary. This dis- 

 tinguishes the family from all others, witli the single 

 exception of the only species of the family of Erycy niche, 

 the Nemeohius lucina, the male of which has only four 

 legs fitted for walking, though the female has the nor- 

 mal number of six. The Peacock, Red Admiral, Tor- 

 toiseshells. White Admiral, Purple Emperor, Painted 

 Lady, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Speckled W(jod, 

 &c., belong to this family. Many are brilliantly coloured, 

 as the Admirals and Peacocks. The magnificent Pved 

 Admiral {Vanessa Atalanta), a drawing of which will 

 be seen on Plate III., Fig. 1, is common everywhere. The 

 perfect insect generally appears in August. The larva 

 is of a yellowish grey colour, with a pale yellow lateral 

 line, and the segment beset with hairs. It feeds on the 

 common nettle, changing into a chrysalis in the sum- 

 mer, and into the perfect insect the end of August or be- 

 ginning of September. The chrysalis has brilliant golden 

 yellow patches on the sides, and is a very pretty object. 

 The specimens which appear early in the summer are 

 those which have hibernated in the winter. The autumn 

 or late summer specimens are the best for the collector's 

 box. Rivalling the Red Admiral in point of beauty and 

 brilliancy of colours, the glorious Peacock ( Vanessa 16) 

 claims a notice, with wings of deep red, margined with 

 brown, chiefly conspicuous for the large eye-like spots, 

 variously and beautifully coloured, which adorn the 

 wings. The perfect insect appears in July, but speci- 



