32 BKITISH BUTTEKFLIES AND MOTHS 



a contest ensues, and the two battle, rising in the air 

 sometimes to a considerable elevation. The Purple Eni- 

 peror sometimes descends to the ground to drink from a 

 muddy pool, but a dead rabbit nailed to a tree will prove 

 a most attractive bait for this splendid insect. 



The Painted Lady (Cynthia cardui) is another butter- 

 fly of uncertain appearance ; in some years it is toler- 

 ably common all the country over, but sometimes years 

 may elapse without our meeting with it. The Comma 

 (Grapta C. album) is common in certain parts of the 

 west and middle of England. Three of the species of 

 Vanessa namely, the Bed Admiral (V. Atalanta), the 

 Peacock (V. Io\ and the small Tortoise-shell (V. urticse) 

 are common garden insects ; and in August and Sep- 

 tember the two former may often be seen displaying 

 their beauties on China asters and other flowers. The 

 Camberwell Beauty (V. Antiopa) is on the other hand 

 a great rarity in this country, though it has occurred 

 singly in a great variety of localities from Cumberland 

 to the Isle of Wight. 



The large Fritillaries are all handsome wood-frequent- 

 ing insects, of powerful flight, soaring over the trees, 

 and descending in the glades to suck the honey from 

 flowers. The small Fritillaries frequent woods that have 

 been thinned, where the underwood is still low. One 

 of our Fritillaries (Argynius Latlionia) is a rarity, and 

 few entomologists have had the pleasure of seeing it 

 alive in this country. The concave hind margin of the 

 anterior wings will attract the attention of the observant 

 entomologist even whilst the insect is on the wing. 



The Hair-streak Butterflies delight to fly along coun- 

 try lanes, settling from time to time on the bushes and 

 trees. The Purple Hair-streak (Thecla fjuercuff} is not 



