BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



surface is black, irrorated and reticulated with 

 gray and red-br6wn : the legs are black and 

 red-brown : the claspers red and gray. When 

 full-fed it spins a little hillock of white silk 

 on one of the ribs or on the petiole of the 

 hop-leaf, or on the stem of the hop-plant, or 

 on the hop-pole, or on the leaf-stalk of the 

 currant ; and, attaching itself thereto by its 

 posterior claspers, it hangs head downwards, 

 and is transformed to an angulated CHRYSALISJ 

 the head is deeply notched, and the two horns 

 or ears, containing the palpi, are distant, 

 pointed, and curved towards each other at the 

 tips ; the back of the thorax has a central 

 elevation laterally compressed and very thin ; 

 the sides of the thorax have two blunt pro- 

 tuberances ; there is a deep dorsal excavation 

 between the thorax and abdomen ; the back 

 has three series of raised points, and on each 

 side are two such series ; the points on the 

 tu edio-dorsal series are small and i n conspicuous, 

 those of the next series on each side are large 

 and prominent ; the first of the lateral series 

 is above, the second below, the spiracles ; both 

 are inconspicuous ; the sides of the body, at 

 its junction with the thorax, are much bulged, 

 making this the broadest part of the chrysalis ; 

 the anal segment is long and slender, and 

 terminates in a cluster of minute hooks, by 

 which it is suspended from the web ; the 

 colour is umber-brown, delicately reticulated 

 with black lines ; on the back, in the depres- 

 sion between the thorax and body, are three 

 or more blotches of beautifully burnished 

 silver. Newman. 



TIME OF APPEARANCE. The CATERPILLAR is 

 found on the hop and red currant in July and 

 August, and the chrysalis in September ; the 

 butterfly occurs most abundantly in September 

 and October; it feeds on the fruit of the 

 bramble and on plums, and is very fond of 

 settling on the blossoms of the thistle; but 

 although this season is the most prolific one 

 for this butterfly, I have repeatedly seen it in 

 the spring, after hybernation, and also in 

 June, July, and August. An idea seems pre- 

 valent that there are two broods in the year, 

 the first emerging from the chrysalis in June 

 and July, the second in August and September. 



I think this is a mistake ; I have been able to 

 obtain no satisfactory evidence of any ca^er- 

 pillars prior to those so abundant in the 

 autumn mouths about the season of hop- 

 picking. 



LOCALITIES. A species of very capricious 

 habits in regard to geographical range in 

 this country, in some localities beinga constant 

 resident, in others appeal ing and disappearing 

 at intervals. Mr. Birchall has recorded its 

 occurrence at Powerscourt in Ireland, but I 

 have no knowledge of a Scotch specimen. In 

 England and Wales it may be called local 

 rather than rare. A noticeable feature in its 

 distribution is its absence from what may be 

 called maritime lists, as those from Norfolk, 

 Suffolk, Kent, Sussex, Isle of Wight, Dorset- 

 shire, Devonshire, and Cornwall : this absence 

 from the lists is not sufficient evidence of the 

 butterfly's not occurring there, but certainly 

 of its great rarity, or it could not have escaped 

 the notice of entomologists : in the midland 

 counties, on the contrary, it is of frequent 

 occurrence, and in some of them absolutely 

 abundant; then, again, the cultivation of its 

 food-plant, the hop, does not seem to exercise 

 that influence on its choice of localities that 

 might be expected ; it abounds in the district 

 where the Worcester hops are grown naraelv, 

 Worcestershire and Herefordshire, but it is 

 rarely observed in the Farriham district 

 namely Surrey or in the Kent district. 



The subjoined list of counties will exemplify 

 this : 



Buckinghamshire. Drayton Beauchamp 

 H. H. Grewe. 



Cambridgeshire. One specimen at Ely, 

 many years ago Marshall Fisher. 



Cheshire. Occasionally in gardens E. 

 Birchall. 



Cumberland. Barren Wood : the caterpillar 

 and chrysalis are sometimes found on the large 

 scabious in abundance J. B. H^dgkinson. 

 [Is not this a mistake ? E.N.] 



Derbyshire. Breadsall H. H. Crewe ; 

 Calke Abbey H. A. Stowell. 



(Dorsetshire. Formerly in plenty at Glan- 

 ville's Wootton, but none have been met with 

 for fifty-four years. The first brood have the 



