17 



LAEGE WHITE. 



PLATE VII. 



Pontia brassicas, Fabricius. Ochsenheimer. 



" " Leach. Curtis. Stephens. Jermyn. 



Catophaga brassica, Hubner. 



Papilio brassicts, Linn^us. Donovan. Lewin. Haworth. 



Gallon's brassiccB, Dalman. 



Picris brassic(B, Schrank. Latreille. Boisduv.al. 



" " Zetterstedt. 



The Large White is very common throughout Europe, and also, 

 according to some authors, in the north-east of Africa, and even in 

 Eastern Asia and Japan. 



It is a very abundant species in this country, and its caterpillar 

 causes much damage in gardens in dry seasons which are favourable 

 to their production. 



The perfect insect occurs about the middle of May or earlier, if 

 what we may now call the "Queen's Own" days shine upon it in its 

 hidden existence. One was seen near Doncaster, on the 3rd. of 

 February, 1837, and that during a severe frost. A second brood 

 appears in July and August. 



The eggs of the first brood are laid about the end of May, and the 

 caterpillars are hatched the beginning of June. They turn into the 

 chrysalis state at the end of that month, and the fly emerged in about 

 a week or a fortnight, according as the season is less or more favourable 

 to its development. The eggs of the second brood produce caterpillars 

 which turn into chrysalides in the course of the autumn, and remain 

 in that state until the following May. 



The caterpillar feeds on the common cabbage, (Brassica oleracea.') 



The caterpillar is found in July and October. 



The expanse of the wings varies ordinarily in different individuals, 

 from two inches and a half to two and three quarters — a singularly 

 small specimen in my own collection, figured in the plate, measures 



D 



