BRIMSTONE BUTTERFLY. 101 



pale in the centre. The body is black above, and 

 clothed with fine white silky hairs ; the under parts 

 and the legs yellow. The antennae are reddish, 

 and the anterior part of the head and thorax are 

 faintly tinged with rose-colour. 



The caterpillar is elongated and naked, of a light 

 green colour, with numerous black scaly dots on 

 the back, and a pale line along each side of the belly. 

 It is said to feed on the buckthorn (Rhamnus cath- 

 articus), and the berry-bearing alder (R.Jrangula). 

 It changes into a short angular chrysalis with a single 

 conical beak, which is attached by the tail, and has 

 a loose girth round the middle. 



This insect is generally distributed over the 

 southern parts of England ; it likewise occurs pretty 

 far to the north, as it is abundant at York, and has 

 been observed by Mr Wailes on the magnesian lime- 

 stone district near Newcastle, and by Mr Wilson on 

 the banks of Windermere. It has not, however, 

 been noticed in Scotland, a circumstance perhaps to 

 be attributed to the rarity of the plants from which 

 the larvae derive their sustenance. It very often sur- 

 vives the winter ; and its early appearance (some- 

 times before the middle of February), together with 

 the gay tint of its colour, and the graceful outline of 

 its wings, render it one of the most interesting he- 

 ralds of the " grata vice veris et Favonii." " The 

 very first butterfly," says Mr Knapp, " that will 



aloft repair, 



And sport and flutter in the fields of air, 



