Hedgerow Life 
may be alike in outside appearance. 
For the caterpillars will not feed on any 
leaf they may find themselves near, but 
restrict themselves to one or two 
varieties. The parent insects, therefore, 
are careful only to lay their eggs on the 
proper plants. The primrose-coloured 
brimstone butterfly picks out the buck- 
thorn from all the other plants growing 
in the hedgerow, never by any chance 
laying an egg on anything else. The 
silver-washed fritillary, which in the 
perfect state is fond of sitting on the 
flowers of the bramble to suck the sweet 
honey, lays its eggs on the violet and 
dog-violet, and on these plants alone the 
caterpillars feed. 
This family of fritillaries is an ex- 
tremely handsome one, the under wings 
of the butterflies being decorated with 
45 
