19 



SMALL WHITE. 



PLATE VIII. 



Pontia rapes, 

 (( (( 



Papilio rapa, 

 it II 



Pieris rapiB, 

 Ganoris rapcp, 

 Catophaga rapes. 



ochsenheimer. stephens. 



Curtis. Duncan. 



LiNN^us. Haworth. 



Lewin. Wilkes. 



Latreille. Boisduval. Zetterstedt. 



Dalman. 



Hubner. 



This common species inhabits the whole of Europe from north to 

 south, and is found in various parts of Asia, and the north of 

 Africa. 



An extraordinary migration of this butterfly from France to Dover 

 was witnessed on the 5th. of July, 1846; and the "Canterbury 

 Journal" recorded at the time that such was the density and extent 

 of the cloud formed by the living mass, that it completely obscured 

 the sun from the people on board the continental steamers on their 

 passage, for many hundreds of yards, while the insects strewed the 

 deep in all directions. The flight reached England about twelve 

 o'clock at noon, and dispersed themselves inland and along shore, 

 darkening the air as they went. During the sea passage of the 

 butterflies, the weather was calm and sunny, with scarce a puff of 

 wind stirring, but an hour or so after they readied 'terra firma,' it 

 began to blow "great guns" from the S.W., the direction whence the 

 insects came- The gardens suflTered from the ravages of their larva*, 

 even at the distance of ten miles from Dover. 



In this country the Small White is very abundant, and there arc three 

 broods, one appearing towards the end of April, and the other about 

 the beginning of July, followed by a third in September. 



The date of the appearance of the caterpillar is in July and 

 August. It feeds on the cabbage, (Brassica oleracea.J It remains in 

 chrysalis about a fortnight, more or less. 



