The Comma 



THE HEATH FRITILLAR Y (Melit<ea Athalia], Plate V., 

 Fig. 2. There is more black, or dark brown, on the 

 upper surface of this species, hence the insect looks 

 darker in general aspect than any of the foregoing 

 Fritillaries. The under side, too (Plate X., Fig. 6), is 

 marked very like Cinxla^ but the light bands on the 

 hind-wings are more of a yellow tint, and the line of 

 black spots through the central band are wanting ; the 

 veins are also more prominent and black. Altogether 

 it is not difficult, on comparing the two under sides, to 

 at once distinguish them. 



It is also a rather local species, being confined to the 

 South of England and Ireland. Both caterpillar and 

 chrysalis are very like those of the last species ; the 

 spines, however, are rust-coloured. It feeds on Plantain. 

 The perfect insect is out from May to July. 



THE COMMA BUTTERFLY (Vanessa c - Alburn]^ 

 Plate V., Fig. 3. The tatterdemalion of the family, 

 it looks, indeed, as if some hungry caterpillars had 

 been dining on its wings, and had been scared away in 

 the middle of the feast, leaving all sorts of rags and 

 tatters to attest their visit. The costal margin is the 

 only line left entire ; all the others are deeply scalloped 

 and indented. Two tails form the longest projections 

 from the middle of the outer edge of the hind-wings. 

 The ground colour is a uniform rusty red, varied with 

 black spots arranged in the same order as in other 

 species of this genus. There is a dark border round 

 the outer margin of both wings. The under side is 

 strikingly different from the upper, and looks extra- 

 5 1 



