158 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 



against him, but that is no reason why he should abstain from a 

 vigorous search when he happens to be ' doing ' the southern 

 counties. 



The Dark-green FritiUary (Argynnis Aylaia) 



This butterfly is larger than Latona, as will be seen by reference 

 to Plate II, fig. 8. Its colour is, as usual with the Fritillaries, a 

 tawny brown with black markings. The female is usually larger 

 than the male, and she is further distinguished by the ground 

 colour being darker and the black markings larger. 



The under side of the fore wings is very similar in colour and 

 markings to the upper, but there are silvery spots near the tips. 



The hind wings are beau- 

 tifully tinted with olive 

 green and brown, and 

 studded with silver. The 

 arrangement of the latter 

 is not easily described, but 

 is accurately represented 

 in the accompanying 

 woodcut. 



The favourite resorts 

 of this insect are wooded 



S P ts ' **** lso *f aths and 

 downs clad with heather 



or ferns, where its food 



plant (the dog violet) lies-scattered ; but it seems to be less partial 

 to woods than the other Fritillaries. It is very widely distributed 

 throughout England, and is common in parts of Scotland and 

 Ireland. 



The perfect insect is on the wing in July and early August. 



The caterpillar first appears toward the end of August, and 

 commences its period of hybernation among the roots of its food 

 plant before it has grown to any considerable size. It comes out 

 again in the spring, and continues to feed till the beginning or 

 middle of July, and then changes to the chrysalis state, after pro- 

 tecting itself by binding three or four leaves together. 



Its colour is a velvety black, with dark and glossy grey between 

 the segments. There is a double yellow line along the back, and a 

 thin line of orange yellow on each side below the spiracles. It has 

 a number of black hairy spines, arranged in six longitudinal rows. 



70.-THE DABK-GBEEN PBITILLABY- 

 UNDEB SIDE. 



