128 BRITISH BriTTRRFLIKB. 



32 



THE SILVER WASHED FRITILLARY 

 (Aryynnis Paphia.) 



(Plate IX. fig. 4, Male ; 4 a, Female.) 



The beautiful genus to which this butterfly belongs is 

 distinguished by the adornment of silvery spots and 

 streaks with which the under side of the hind wings is 

 bedight; while the upper surface is chequered with 

 black, upon a rich golden-brown ground, the device 

 reminding one of those old-fashioned chequered flowers 

 called " fritillaries," whence the common name of these 

 butterflies. 



Of all the British Fritillaries, this is, perhaps, the 

 loveliest, from the exquisite softness and harmony of 

 the silvery pencillings on the iridescent green of the 

 under side; though some of the others with bright 

 silver spots are gayer and more sparkling. 



The two sexes differ considerably on the upper sur- 

 face ; the male being marked with black (as in the 

 engraving) upon a bright orange-brown ground, while 

 the female is without the broad black borders to the 

 veins of the front wings, and the ground colour is suf- 

 fused with an olive-brown tint, inclining sometimes to 

 green. The black spots are also larger. Beneath, how- 

 ever, both sexes are marked nearly alike with washy 

 streaks of silver, and not with defined spots. 



