Pearl-Bordered Fritillary 



(Plate X., Fig. 3), especially of the hind- wings, how- 

 ever, renders the task of identification comparatively 

 easy : the ground colour is a deeper brown in this 

 species and causes the pearl border to stand out in 

 stronger relief; besides, numerous other pearl spots 

 brighten its surface. It is a local butterfly, with a wide 

 range of distribution both in England and Scotland ; 

 and where it does occur it is generally common. In 

 the South it may be double brooded, but in the North 

 the June flight is all we see of it for the year. 



The caterpillar is black, with an interrupted white 

 line along the back ; the spines are brown ; it feeds 

 on the dog violet (Viola canina}. The chrysalis is ash- 

 coloured. 



THE PEARL - BORDERED FRITILLARY (Argynnis 

 Euphrosyne), Plate IV., Fig. 8. Perhaps this is the 

 commoner of these twin butterflies, though its range of 

 distribution is much the same as the foregoing. In its 

 case, also, the under side of the /tfW-wings furnishes us 

 with the main points of distinction. Here the mark- 

 ings are a warm mid-red shade on an ochreous ground ; 

 the pearl border is very pronounced, and in the middle 

 of the wing a single pearl reposes. Nearer the body 

 there is another smaller spot hardly so bright. If you 

 set several of these two species with the under side 

 uppermost, you will soon get quite familiar with the 

 difference between them. Plate X., Figs. 3, 5, shows 

 this distinction. 



The caterpillar is similar to the last species and 

 prefers Viola as a food -plant, but I have found it in 

 43 



