01 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



The caterpillar, which is a very handsome creatine, ia 

 found feeding on various umbelliferous plants ; among 

 which, its chief favourites in this country appear to be 

 the Wild Carrot (Daucus Carota), the Marsh Milk- 

 parsley (Selinum palustre), and Fennel (Anethum Fceni~ 

 culum). In colour it is blight green, with velvet-black 

 rings, which are spotted with red. A distinguishing 

 mark of this caterpillar is a reddish-coloured forked 

 appendage just behind its head, which, when the animal 

 is alarmed, gives out a strong-scented fluid, supposed to 

 be for the purpose of alarming some of its enemies. 



The chrysalis, again, is a very pretty object, especially 

 when of its ordinary colour, which is a lively green, 

 shaded in some parts into bright yellow ; but there is 

 a frequent variety marked only with various shades of 

 brown and buff. Living specimens of both of these are 

 before me at this moment, and when they assume the 

 perfect state, I shall be curious to mark whether these 

 differences are continued in the respective butterflies. 



These chrysalides are most interesting objects to keep 

 during the winter months. As the spring advances, the 

 colours of the butterfly begin to appear faintly through 

 their thin green envelope, and the pattern of the upper 

 wings, which only are visible, becomes at last distinctly 

 perceptible, of course in miniature. When this is the 

 case, we should begin to watch for the release of the 

 beautiful prisoner. 



If you visit his cage the first thing every morning (for 

 bis exit most frequently takes place in the early part of 



