PEARL-BORDERED FRITILLARY. lOT 



more extensive and distinct in some individuals than in others. 

 Next the outside series is a row of round dots, succeeded 

 by a row of small crescents, and these by a row of round dots 

 intersected by a line and forming the margin, the brown of 

 the wings appearing between the circles. The hind wings are 

 marked in a very similar manner, but the billets are much 

 run together. Their base is also dusky black. 



Underneath, the fore wings exhibit all the markings from 

 the upper side, the, tips being lighter, and bordered some way 

 within with dark reddish orange. The hind wings have one 

 large silver spot on their centre, placed diagonally across the 

 central pale bar, and a row of silver crescents runs round the 

 edge of the wing, followed by a reddish line, itself margined 

 by a streak of greenish straw-colour, the outside margin. These 

 wings are very beautifully marked with reddish ferruginous, 

 buff, and greenish straw-colour, in the way of waved bars, 

 formed by a wide band of the former mottled with the latter, 

 this by one of the greenish straw-colour, and this by one of 

 the latter, the base being also of the greenish straw-colour; 

 the central j)ale bar has one. 



The caterpillar is black in colour and spined, Avith two rows 

 of orange dots on the back. 



Several varieties of this species have been recorded. — The 

 Rev. C. J. Bird, Vicar of Gainsborough, possesses one which is 

 nearly white. Mr. Stephens records one in which the silvery 

 marginal spots are wanting, and another with the inner half of 

 all the upper surface of the wings black, spotted with fulvous, 

 with large black spots on the under side of the fore wings. Mr. 

 Westwood also figures one in which all the black markings on 

 the upper side of the fore wings are suffused, except the row 

 of round spots within the margin, the markings on the hind 

 wings being somewhat more distinct, and the under side scarcely 

 different from the ordinary appearance. The autumnal brood 

 is of a much yellower ground colour than the spring one. 



The figures are from specimens in my own collection. 



