PIERIS. 43 



fore-wings meets the hind-margin is an ill-defined, 

 blackish, triangular mark, which is just hinted at also 

 in the hind-wings. In the female, some of the nervures 

 of the fore-wings are brownish instead of black, and the 

 wings are even more transparent than in the male. The 

 upper and under surfaces are almost identical. 



Pieris, Schranck. 



The genus Pieris, named after the Muses (Pierides) 

 who were worshipped on Mount Pierus, contains four 

 British species : brassicce, rapce, napi, and daplidice, 

 the first three being particularly common everywhere, 

 while the last is equally scarce. They are on the 

 wing all the season through with the exception of a 

 short period about July between the early and the later 

 broods. The universal admiration which the delicate 

 markings of daplidice call forth is no doubt in a great 

 measure due to its rarity ; but, in the eyes of an 

 observer who can admire a beautiful object, even if it 

 is a common one, the other three species are not far 

 behind it in beauty, a beauty due to simplicity chiefly, 

 for three colours only a creamy-white together with 

 black and yellow combine to adorn the insects we are 

 considering. The sexes differ considerably, the variations 

 being remarkably similar in the first three species. The 

 perfect insects have six legs, all adapted for walking, and 

 the knobs of the antennae rather elongated. The wings 

 have a simple, rounded outline. The somewhat downy 

 caterpillars are almost cylindrical, just tapering a little 

 towards the two extremities. 



So common are the larvae of brassicce and rapce in 

 some seasons, that cabbages and other Crucifercz are 

 absolutely riddled by them. Luckily, however, they 

 have enemies, which usually succeed in keeping them 



