COMMA. 71 



there being two broods in the year, the latter of which is paler in 

 colour than the former. Some individuals live throughout the winter, 

 and re-appear the following spring in the sunshine, too soon to be 

 obscured by the clouds which the "Wandering Winds" of that early 

 season unwelcomely interpose. 



The caterpillar feeds on the elm, willow, honeysuckle, and other 

 trees, and the hop, nettle, and other plants. 



The wings expand to the width of from an inch and three quarters 

 to rather over two inches. The fore wings are a beautiful rich fulvous 

 orange colour; the outer margins are dark orange brown, darkest in 

 the middle, and lighter at each extremity. There are three black 

 patches on the front edge, the outer one fading into the fulvous brown 

 of the border, the next lighter brown at its upper edge, and the next 

 some little way within the extreme margin; beneath these are one 

 larger and two smaller black spots of irregular shapes. The hind 

 wings are dusky at the base and at the outer corner, their ground- 

 colour is also fulvous orange, the border darker, edged with cream- 

 colour. Inside it is a row of pale buff crescents, forming as it were, 

 the centre of a band of a darker brown than the rest of the wing, 

 which, divided by them, leaves a series of blots following the shape 

 of the margin. On the centre of the fore edge is a large black jiatch, 

 and beneath it, ou the inner side, another smaller one. 



Underneath, the fore wings are elegantly variegated with transverse 

 marks of rich brown, grey, whitish grey, and metallic green, in which 

 latter are small black specks. The hind wings are marked in much 

 the same way, with a white C in the middle, whence the name of the 

 insect, both scientific and vernacular. 



The whole under side varies very much in different individuals, and 

 in the spring and autumnal broods. In some it is almost wholly of 

 a uniform dull metallic bronze brown colour. In others, the border is 

 of an exceedingly rich brown, and the whole surface much variegated. 



The caterpillar is of a brownish red colour; the back reddish in 

 front, and the hinder part white; it is remarkable for the sides of 

 the head having two projections, which are bristled, as are also the 

 spines on the body. 



The chrysalis is pale brownish red, and spotted with gold. It remains 

 in this state about fourteen days. 



Mr. Westwood observes how this species is subject to an extra- 

 ordinary variation in the form of its wings, the incision in the outer 

 margin of the fore wings being in some specimens so deep that it 

 forms nearly a semicircle, whilst in others it is scarcely more than a 

 sextant, the other indentations being equally varied. 



