94 GREASY FRITILLART. 



gregarious, the brood passing the winter under a common web, is full 

 fed in April. 



It feeds on the devils-bit scabious, f Scabiosa succisa,) the greater 

 plantain, f Plantago major, J and the ribwort plantain, f Plantago 

 lanceolata.J 



This Fritillary extends across the wings from one inch and a half 

 to two inches: I have two in my collection of exactly these respective 

 measurements. The fore wings are of a dark reddish orange colour, 

 barred cross-wise irregularly with blackish and straw-coloured waved 

 bars or spots; the base of these wings is blackish brown. The hind 

 wings are of a similar red ground-colour, their base and inner side 

 blackish brown, with a yellowish orange spot near the former; they are 

 also barred with a bar of dark blackish brown, widest at the lower 

 corner, and in it a row of continuous light orange cream-coloured spots; 

 the ground-colour, there apparent as another bar, has a row of black 

 specks in each of its compartments, and this is succeeded by a blackish 

 brown border, edged with yellowish grey, and bordered on its inner 

 side with a row of small yellowish orange crescents, each a satellite of 

 the several compartments of the red ground-colour. 



Underneath, the fore wings, which have an oiled appearance, whence 

 the common name of the species, are of a much more obscure and 

 dull general colour, the markings from the upper side all, or nearly 

 all, shewing through. The hind wings, of a slightly brighter ground- 

 colour, have three yellowish cream-coloured curved bands, margined 

 with thin black lines, the first, near the base, irregular and oblique, 

 with an extension outwardly into the middle, the second, in the middle 

 of the wing, and the third, a series of marginal crescents, between 

 which and the middle one, in the ground-colour, is a row of small 

 yellowish cream-coloured spots, with a central dot of black, severally 

 more or less distinct. 



The female resembles the male. 



The caterpillar is spined, black above and yellowish beneath, witli 

 a row of small white dots along the back and sides; the spines are 

 black, as is also the head; the legs are reddish brown. 



The chrysalis is suspended, according to M. Harris, between several 

 blades of grass, drawn together, and fastened at the top with threads. 

 It is pale-coloured, with dark spots. It continues about a fortnight 

 in its "durance vile," and then the beautiful insect emerges to the 

 full enjoyment of its "little day." 



Individuals vary considerably in the intensity and size of the markings. 



In one, the front edge of the fore wings was slightly concave. 



The figures are from specimens in my own collection. 



