262 INSECTS. 



white centres, are found on the underside of the hind- 

 wings. This marking is very common in this family, 

 hut not in Papilionidse, although the Clouded Yellow, 

 Colias, in Papilionidse has a ringed spot of some- 

 what silvery surface on the underside of the hind- 

 wing. 



The family Nymphalidas contains, hesides the Marbled 

 White already named, all the hrown wood and meadow 

 Butterflies ; sober-coloured insects whose chief charm 

 is their very commonness, which associates them in our 

 memories with the woodland scenes and sunny days in 

 which they are seldom wanting. 



There are several genera of these, and on the wings 

 of all the species several small dark spots occur which 

 have minute white centres, and are placed sometimes in 

 a pale or tawny ring or patch. The common " Meadow 

 Brown " (PL X., fig. 2), and the common little tawny 

 "Small Heath," are examples of this. Amongst the 

 more richly-coloured of the Nymphalidse, we come to 

 the White Admiral, and the Purple Emperor, both of a 

 brownish black with broad white markings. The male 

 of the Purple Emperor has also a deep purple lustre, 

 and some ringed spots on each hind-wing. 



In the Painted Lady, " painted " with a delicate mix- 

 ture of rich dark brown with pale orange, tawny, and white, 

 ring-like marks are conspicuous on the under side. 



But it is in the genus Vanessa that the ringed or eye- 

 like spot attains its highest glory in the Peacock 

 Butterfly, which, with its gorgeous peacock -eyed wings, 

 is perhaps the most conspicuously beautiful among 

 British insects. In this the under side is of very dark 

 rich brown made the richer (as by " stippling ") from 

 being covered with a minute and obscure pattern of a 



