106 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



fulvous with a large black spot on the costa, and with 

 blue crescent-shaped spots in the dark border along the 

 hind margin. 



The spiny margin is black speckled with grey, with 

 tawny-grey broad dorsal stripe, intersected by a black 

 line down the centre, and with a tawny stripe above the 

 legs ; it is gregarious, feeding on elm-trees in June and 

 July. 



The perfect insect makes its appearance towards the 

 end of July, and continues to occur throughout August, 

 but at that season of the year it is seldom noticed on 

 the wing ; it lives through the winter, coming out from 

 its retreats on hot sunny days, and in March, April, 

 and May it is seen much more frequently than in July 

 and August. 



FAMILY II. NYMPHALID.E. Subfamily Vanes sidi. 



VANESSA URTICjE. THE SMALL TORTOISE- 

 SHELL BUTTERFLY. 



One of our commonest butterflies, occurring through- 

 out the country. 



The expansion of the wings is from 2 to 2i inches. 

 It closely resembles the preceding, but is smaller, the 

 ground-colour is more fiery, and on the costa, near the 

 tip, is a white spot. The fore- wings are reddish -orange, 

 with three large black spots on the costa (the third 

 followed by a white spot), two smaller black spots near 

 the centre, and one large one on the inner margin ; a 

 dark border, containing crescentic blue spots, runs along 

 the hind margin. The hind- wings are black at the 

 base, then reddish-orange with a blue-spotted, dark 

 border along the hind margin. 



