78 COMMA. 



the sunsliine, too soon to be obscured by the clouds which 

 the "Wandering Winds" of that early season nnwelcomely 

 interpose. 



The caterpillar feeds on the elm, willow, honeysnchle, and 

 otiier trees, and the hop, nettle, and other plants. 



The wings extend to the width of from an inch and three- 

 qnarters to rather over two inches. The fore wings are a 

 beautiful rich fulvous orange colour; the outer margins are 

 dark orange brown, darkest in the middle, and lighter at each 

 extremity. There are three black patches on the front edge, 

 the outer one fading into the fulvous brown of the border, the 

 next lighter brown at its upper edge, and the next some little 

 way within the extreme margin; beneath these are one lai-ger 

 and two smaller black spots of irregular shapes. The hind wings 

 are dusky at the base and at the outer corner, their ground 

 colour is also fulvous orange, the border darker, edged with 

 cream-colour. Inside it is a row of pale buff crescents, forming, 

 as it were, the centre of a band of a darker brown than the 

 rest of the wing, which, divided by them, leaves a series of 

 blots following the shape of the margin. On the centre of the 

 fore edge is a large black patch, and beneath it, on the inner 

 side, another smaller one. 



Underneath, the fore wings are elegantly variegated with 

 transverse marks of rich brown, grey, whitish grey, and metallic 

 green, in which latter are small black specks. The hind wings 

 are marked in much the same way, with a white C in the 

 middle, whence the name of the insect, both scientific and 

 vernacular. 



The whole underside varies very much in different individuals, 

 and in the spring and autumnal broods. In some it is almost 

 wholly of a uniform dull metallic bronze brown colour. In 

 others, the border is of an exceedingly rich brown, and the 

 whole surface much variegated. 



The catcrj^illar is of a brownish red colour; the back reddish 

 in front, and the hinder part white; it is remarkable for the 

 sides of the head having two projections, which are bristled, as 

 are also the spines on the body. 



