126 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



more than a hundred of the accompanying butterflies 

 ( V. Urticce]. I commenced at once collecting them, and 

 succeeded in securing more than sixty. These I have 

 fed on sugar spread over cabbage-leaves and bran until 

 now, and, to all appearances, those which still survive 

 (more than forty in number) are thriving well, and in 

 good condition." 



THE COMMA BUTTERFLY. 

 (Grapta C. Album) (Plate IX. fig. 3.) 



THE singularly jagged outline of this butterfly at once 

 distinguishes it from every other native species, though, 

 did we not know it as a distinct species, it might have 

 been taken for one of the two pi evious species very 

 much stunted, deformed, and torn, so similar is it in 

 colour and the plan of its markings. 



The upper surface is deep fulvous, or rusty orange, 

 and marked with black and dark brown. In different 

 individuals, the under side varies greatly in its tints 

 and markings, especially near the border of the wings, 

 which are sometimes of a deep rich olive brcwn, some- 

 times pale tawny. They all agree, however, in bearing 

 in the centre of the hind wings the character from 

 which the insect takes its specific name, viz. a white 

 mark in fom of the letter C, which has also been 

 likened with less justice to a 9 whence its English name 

 rf " Comma." 



