172 NYMPH ALIDiE. 



Anterior Legs of the female scaly, slightly fringed with hairs. Tibia fully as long as the femur, 

 smooth, slenderest in the middle. Tarsus shorter than the tibia, smooth, five-jointed ; the first 

 joint twice the length of the rest combined ; the second barely one fourth the length of the first ; 

 the third one half the length of the second ; the fourth transverse, three fourths the length of 

 the third ; these joints all armed at the apex with a short spine on each side, not covered at the 

 base by any bunch of hairs or seta; situated on the next joint ; fifth joint smaller than the 

 fourth, transverse, unarmed. 

 Middle and Posterior Legs with the femora and tibia; of about equal length, the latter spined all 

 round ; the lateral spines much the longest ; the spurs very distinct. Tarsi about as long as the 

 tibia; ; all the joints nearly cylindric, spiny all round. First joint nearly equal to the others 

 combined, the spines below arranged in two alternating series ; second, third, and fourth joints 

 progressively shorter ; the fifth longer than the third ; all these with the spines of the lower 

 surface arranged in two regularly opposed series. Claws curved, grooved below. Paronychia 

 bilaciniate ; the outer lacinia rather slender, tapering, equal to the claw ; inner much shorter. 

 Pulvillus jointed, nearly equal in length to the claw. 

 Abdomen moderate, about two thirds the length of the inner margin of the wing. 



Larva cylindric, spiny, the spines verticillate ; the prothoracic segment always with at least 



two spines. 

 Pupa angular, tuberculate, the head mostly bifid. 



The two sections composing this genus appear to me to be too closely allied to admit of their separation into distinct 

 genera, as I once thought advisable. The only constant difference is in the position of the subcostal nervules ; for 

 although generally the species of the first section differ slightly in the form of the palpi from those of the second, yet 

 this difference is not constant. Moreover, as Mr. Westwood has remarked, the form of the palpi does not appear to be 

 a character always to be relied on in this and the following genus. 



The Laev.e are always spiny ; the spines set round with numerous stiff hairs ; the prothoracic segment always has 

 two spines, which sometimes are longer than the others, as in Argynnis Paphia and Arg. Amathusia. The general 

 colour is brown or fuscous, with longitudinal bands of either a darker or paler hue. The larva; of Argynnis Ino and 

 Arg. Daphne are bluish white, with longitudinal fuscous lines ; the spines being brown. The food of most of the 

 species consists of some species of violet, but some feed on the bramble, nettle, some Cruciferse and Papilionacea?, and 

 also on Anchusa officinalis and Polygonum Bistorta. Lying hid under the leaves the greater part of the day, they are 

 difficult to find ; and what is known of their history is chiefly due to the German and French entomologists, especially 

 the former. 



To a French entomologist, M. Vandouer, we owe some very interesting observations on the habits of the 

 larva of Argynnis Euphrosyne. Having succeeded in obtaining some eggs of this species which were laid about 

 the middle of May, he fed the young larva; produced from them until the end of June, when they all fell into 

 a state of complete torpidity, in which most of them remained until the following spring. But in August a 

 portion of them woke up from their sleep, fed with voracity, changed their skins twice, became pupa;, and in a 

 few days perfect insects. It was only at the end of the following February that the others commenced feeding, 

 changed their skins twice, and after the first week in April became pupa;, from which the perfect insects 

 appeared at the usual time. In England we rarely see the perfect insect of either Argynnis Selene or 

 Euphrosyne in the autumn, but they are more often met with on the continent of Europe. The second appearance of 

 several species of this genus is to be explained by this habit of the larvae, not by their being double-brooded. It would 

 be curious to know if the specimens disclosed from the pupa; in the autumn have any progeny, and, if so, to learn their 



