104 BKITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



band, and with one large and five small white spots near 

 the tip. The hind-wings are black, with a broad deep 

 red band at the hind margin, in which are four black 

 spots ; at the anal angle is a large blue-and-black spot. 

 The spiny larva is yellowish-grey, with a pale yellow 

 lateral line ; the third and fourth segments have four 

 spines ; the fifth to twelfth have seven spines ; between 

 the second and third row of spines is a row of black 

 V-shaped markings. It feeds solitarily in rolled leaves 

 of the stinging nettle in June and July. 



The perfect insect makes its appearance in August, 

 and is constantly to be seen on sunny warm days in 

 September and the first half of October, feasting on 

 fallen plums, pears, etc., and revelling in the blossoms 

 of China asters, dahlias, thistles, brambles, and ivy, 

 etc. ; it lives through the winter, but the hybernated 

 specimens are seldom seen till May is well advanced, 

 and then they never appear in such numbers as the 

 allied hybernating species. 



FAMILY II. NYMPH AIXDM. Subfamily Vanessidi. 



VANESSA 10. THE PEACOCK BUTTERFLY. 



This beautiful butterfly is common throughout Eng- 

 land, but becomes scarce when we get into Scotland. 



The expansion of the wings is from 2J to 2| lines. 

 The fore-wings are of a dull deep red, with two black 

 marks from the costa ; beyond the second is a large 

 eye-like spot of many colours, namely, yellow, black, 

 red, bluish-lilac, rosy, and white ; the hind margin is 

 brown. The hind- wings are dull deep red, with a large 

 black eye-like spot, shaded with bluish-lilac, placed in 

 a pale. brown ring towards the outer angle. 



