162 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 



Periclymenum), devil's-bit scabious (Scabiosa succisa), and the 

 plantain (Plantago) ; and its chief resorts are damp meadows 

 and marshy places, where these plants (more especially the 

 scabious) abound. 



The butterfly appears about the end of April or in June. 



The caterpillars emerge from the eggs towards the end of the 

 latter month, and always feed in groups under the cover of a silken 

 web. Like the preceding species they hybernate during the winter, 

 and commence feeding again in the spring. They are fully grown 

 about the end of April. 



In colour the caterpillar is velvety black, dotted with white, and 

 its body is covered with short bristly spines. When fully fed it 

 seeks the shelter of a curled leaf or dense herbage, suspends itself 

 by the hind claspers to a silken carpet, and then changes to a creamj 

 white chrysalis with black dots. 



The Glanville Fritillary (Melitcea Cinxia) 



The pattern of the upper side of this Fritillary (Plate III, 

 fig. 4) is very similar to that of Aurinia, but the ground colour 

 is a uniform tawny brown, and the fringes of the wings are of a 

 very pale straw colour, barred with black. 



The under side of the fore wings is tawny brown, with straw- 

 coloured tips bearing black markings. The hind wings have four 

 alternate bands of brown and straw 

 colour, and a patch of straw colour at 

 the base. The marginal yellow band has 

 six or seven black spots. The brown 

 band next to it is divided into six seg- 

 ments with black borders, each with a 

 black spot. The next yellow band has 



also a row of black spots. The inner 



FIG. 74. THE GLANVILLE , . .. . . , .. . 



FRITILLART UNDER SIDE. lvous band is very irregular ; and in- 

 side this is the yellow base with six spots. 



This is another local insect very local indeed, for it seems to 

 have been found only in a few spots outside its head quarters, the 

 Isle of Wight. Those in search of it should carefully scan the 

 rough cliffy parts of the island, wherever the species of plantain 

 (Plantago Coronopus and P. maritima) are plentiful, these being 

 the food plants of the larvae. It first appears on the wing in May, 

 but may be found till the end of June. 



