54 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



tion of thorax and body the reflexions or tints 

 of gold are more extended, sometimes em- 

 bracing the wing-cases. Newman. 



TIME OP APPEARANCE. I have found the 

 caterpillars abundantly on nettles in May and 

 July, and I have succeeded in rearing butter- 

 flies from both these broods ; the chrysalids 

 are fuund at the end of May and beginning 

 of June, and the butterflies in almost every 

 month in the year, beginning, of course, with 

 hybernated specimens. An interesting note 

 ou the commencement and termination of this 

 insect's hybernation, by that most accurate 

 observer, the Rev. O. Pickard-Camhridge, is 

 published at page 299 of the third volume of 

 the "Entomologist." Mr. Pickard-Carabridge 

 says: "On one of the first Sundays in 

 August last, during divine service, a specimen 

 of Vanessa Urticce flew into the parish church 

 of Winterbourne-Tomson, in which I was 

 officiating. After fluttering in the windows 

 and flying about the church for a short time, 

 the insect settled upon a projecting rafter in 

 a conspicuous place, and remained, with its 

 wings in the usual state of repose, during the 

 remainder of the service. On the Sunday 

 following it was still in statu quo ; and so, 

 Sunday after Sunday throughout the autumn 

 and winter, evidently never having once 

 moved from its first position. There it was 

 until, on Sunday, the 5th of May, it came oft' 

 its perch, and was flying briskly about the 

 church when I came away after the conclu- 

 sion of the service. Its period of motionless 

 i epose had thus just been nine months, and it 

 was apparently as fresh in colour and con- 

 dition as if just out of the chrysalis." Pro- 

 fessor Westwood has expressed his surprise 

 that a specimen captured in the spring proved 

 on examination to be a male. I may inform 

 him that both sexes invariably hybernate in 

 the perfect state and reappear in early spring. 

 From the time of the first vernal appearance 

 of these hybernated specimens there is usually 

 a succession of individuals, liable to an occa- 

 sional interruption about Midsummer. Mr. 

 Tuely records (" Entomologist," ii., 294) that 

 he took a recently hatched specimen on the 

 6th June, and Mr. Foubleday informs us 



("Entomologist," ii., 294) "that in 1865 hun- 

 dreds of caterpillars were hatched on nettles 

 in a field adjoining his garden towards the 

 end of April; these were full-grown in May, 

 and the butterflies were on the wing in <;hi> 

 middle of June: there was not a single cater- 

 pillar on the nettles from the third week in 

 May until the first week in July, when 

 swarms of young ones again appeared ; these 

 were full-fed early in August, and the butter- 

 flies were again on the wing early in Septem- 

 ber." Thus there are evidently two broods in 

 the year, and June and September may be 

 given as the dates for their appearance. Some 

 of the second brood remain until October in 

 the chrysalis state, and Mr. Clogg has ob- 

 served the emergence of specimens on the 

 23rd and 25th of December. The Small Tor- 

 toise-shell seems attiched to the residences of 

 man, and, like many animals, has its economy 

 modified in accordance with this association. 

 Obs. The caterpillars of Vanessa Urticce, 

 and, as I surmise, of the genus Vanessa in 

 general, are remarkably exempt from the 

 attacks of ichneumons. Thus I collected last 

 July about forty nearly full-grown caterpillars 

 of this species, and every one of them became 

 achrysalis andemerged in duetime. lobserved 

 also in rearing this butterfly, that if from in- 

 sufficient or inappropriate food the caterpillars 

 have not attained their full size when they 

 enter the chrysalis state, the perfect insects 

 make their appearance with perfect wings, but 

 of a diminutive stature; in this respect differ- 

 ing from moths, which, under similar circum- 

 stances, appear with shrivelled and imperfect 

 wings. J. R. S. Clifford, in " Entomologist," 

 vol. ii., p. 132. 



LOCALITIES. Distributed with considerable 

 equality over every part of the British Islands. 

 Mr. Birchall simply records that it is " com- 

 mon " in Ireland. Dr. Buchanan White says, 

 " It is as abundant in Perthshire as it is else- 

 where, and is found from the sea-level up to 

 the summit of Ben Lawers. It is one of the 

 few butterflies noticed by outsiders, who call 

 it the Emperor Butterfly, the Devil Butterfly, 

 or "Witch Butterfly. Scottish examples are 

 larger than English ones." 



