■ MymphAlid.^. 147 



and in the collection of the late Mr. Sidebotham is one with 

 an abbreviated and divided red stripe, and another with all 

 the basal black portions of the wings light brown. One of 

 Mr. Robsons has the marbling of the hind wings beneath 

 almost obliterated, and the red stripe of the fore wings, 

 beneath, spread to double its usual breadth. 



September and October, and, after hybernation, in June. 



Larva nearly 2 inches long, stout. Head horny, with a 

 flat face, larger than the second segment, which is both shoi't 

 and narrow. The third and following segments each furnished 

 with rows of branched spines ; some black, some pale yellow, 

 with, or without, black tips ; between them are a few scattered 

 hairs. Body blackish, freckled and dotted with white, and 

 having a pale yellow sub-dorsal, and a broader yellow 

 spiracular, stripe; legs black, pro-legs reddish-brown. Another 

 variety is of a soft grey, with the spines buff ; another grey, 

 freckled with yellowish -green, with darker sub-dorsal markings, 

 and a yellow sub-spiracular stripe ; and others dark brownish 

 with pale spines. (Buckler.) 



On nettle (Urtica dioicd), solitary; drawing together the 

 edges of a leaf, so as to form a chamber, iu which it lives. 

 The late Mr. E. Birchall recorded that it was so common iu 

 the Isle of Man. that many larvfe were to be found on the 

 same nettle plant, some ordinary grey-green, varying to 

 dingy white, with the lateral stripes not vei-y clearly defined • 

 some intensely black, with the stripes white or yellow ; the 

 spines also varying iu colour from black to whitish, or tipped 

 with black, or smoke-coloured. Mr. Buckler pointed out 

 that the black larvffi seemed to be of a northern variety ; but 

 Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher found larvaj at Freshwater, Isle of 

 Wight, feeding on Pa.rutaria qficinnlis, which were dark 

 coloured, while those upon the neighbouring nettles were of 

 the ordinary lighter colouring. Those on the pellitory were 

 some weeks later in emerging as butterflies than those on 

 nettle, but presented no other peculiarities, uor does it appear 

 that any of the larval varieties enumerated carry on any 



