10 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



are those. of the Peacock, Eed Admiral, Painted Ladj 

 and the Silvery Fritillaries. 



The caterpillars of another large section have thi 

 body considerably thicker in the middle (rolHng-pb 

 shaped), and the tail part two-forked, or bifurcate. 

 This form belongs to the numerous family that includes 

 the Meadow-brown (fig. 3), the Ringlets, and many 

 others. 



The bizarre personage, at fig. 4, turns to the graceful 

 White Admiral butterfly. 



The Purple "Emperor begins his royal career in the 

 curious form shown at fig. 5 a shape unique among 

 British butterflies, as beseems that of their sovereign ; 

 and he carries a coronet on his brow already. 



All those beautiful little butterflies called the Hair 

 streaks (fig. 9), the Blues (fig. 10), and the Coppers, 

 have very short and fat caterpillars, that remind one 

 forcibly of wood-lice a shape shared also by that small 

 butterfly with a big name, the Duke of Burgundy 

 Fritillary (fig. 8), an insect very distinct from the Fritil- 

 laries above mentioned with thorny caterpillars. 



The legs of a caterpillar are usually sixteen in num- 

 ber, and composed of two distinct kinds, viz. of six true 

 legs, answering to those of the perfect insect, and placed 

 in the foremost segments of the body; and of ten 

 dthers, called "prolegs;" temporary legs, used princi- 

 pally for strengthening the creature's hold upon leaf 01 

 branch. 



Like the rest of its body, the caterpillar's head widel/ 



