AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. 39 
vo 
fulvous lunules ; the margin of the wing consisting also of straw-coloured lunules edged with black, and haying 
a thin scolloped line of black running through it close to the margin. 
Several varieties of this species are described by Mr. Stephens, varying in the size of the fulvous markings, 
whereby they either become confluent from their larger size, or are almost obliterated by the black becoming 
more prominent. 
The caterpillar is black and spiny, with two white dotted lines on each segment, and white tubercles on the 
sides. It feeds on the narrow and broad-leaved plantain, and according to Wilkes on the common heath. The 
butterfly appears from the beginning of May to July, frequenting heaths, marshes, &c. 1t is rare near London, 
but abundant in some parts of Devonshire, Dartmoor, and near Bedford, Coombe Wood, Hartley Wood, 
Essex, Apsley Wood, Bedfordshire, Caen Wood, Middlesex, and Faversham. 
Metirma Pyronta, Hubner, Stephens, or the Papilio Eos, Haworth, is considered by Ochsenheimer, Curtis, and 
Stephens, to be a variety of this species. That it is not a distinct species I infer from the irregularity and want 
of tessellation in the markings, the typical individuals of all the fritillaries being more or less distinctly tessellated. 
Our figures, plate 8, fig. 13, 14, are copied from representations of this beautiful insect given by Mr. Stephens 
(Illust. Haust. pl. 4*, fig. 1,2). The specimen figured was taken by Mr. Howard at Peckham in June 1803, 
and is rather more than an inch and a half in expanse, with the fore wings above deep fulyous ; the veins, 
blotches in the middle, a waved streak and marginal band black ; hind wings above black, with a waved bar of 
six fulvous spots beyond the middle ; beneath, the fore wings are fulvous, but paler at the tips, with two black 
spots at the base, and a broad black bar in the middle divided by fulvous veins, and with a row of black lunules 
near the margin ; hind wings fulvous at base, with about eight confluent black patches ; the middle of the wing 
occupied by a broad whitish band, intersected by blackish veins, followed by a row of fulvous lunules with black 
- edgings ; the outer margin straw-coloured, with a row of ochraceous lunules in the middle. 
Parito TESSELLATA, serotina, subtus straminea, or the Straw May Fritillary of Petiver (Papil. pl. 3, fig. 11, 
12, and our plate 9, fig. 13, 14), is also now considered by Stephens and Curtis as a variety of P. Athalia. In 
Petiver’s time it was “ pretty common in Caen Wood,” where Athalia also occurred. It is paler above than that 
species, and the fore wings are more fulvous beneath ; the hind wings beneath are entirely straw-coloured, with 
black veins; at the base are three large yellow spots edged with black ; a broad curved fascia of straw-yellow 
runs across the middle of the wings, edged with black, and with an irregular black line running through the 
middle of it; this is succeeded by a row of black lunules, and the margin is straw-yellow with a black vandyked 
line running along it. 
DESCRIPTION OF PLATE IX. 
Insects.:—Fig. 1. Melitwa Selene (small pearl-bordered Fritillary Butterfly). 2. Showing the under side. 3. The Caterpillar. 
4. The Chrysalis. 
ig. 5. Melitwa Dia (the small purple Fritillary B.) 6. Showing the under side. 7. The Caterpillar. 
wv Fig. 8. Melitea Euphrosyne (the pearl-bordered Fritillary B.) 9. Showing the under side. 10. The Caterpillar. 
Gi Fig. 11. A dark variety of M. Euphrosyne. 
ce Fig. 12. A variety of M. Euphrosyne, with pale under side, (The Thalia of Haworth.) 
ee Fig. 13. Melitaa Tessellata. 14, Showing the under side. 
a 
Ey 
Puants.—Fig. 15. Viola Tricolor (Heartsease). 16. Viola canina (Dog’s violet). 
Two of the insects figured in this plate, M. Selene and M. Euphrosyne, are so much alike on the upper side, that it is difficult in a drawing to 
render them very distinct. The two individuals from which the drawings were made were indeed somewhat different in colour, but that is not a 
