FRITILLABIES, VANES8AS, PURPLE EMPEROR 167 



It is thickly covered with yellow dots, which are so close together 

 on the back as to form two yellowish stripes, separated only by a 

 line black line. There are also two yellowish stripes along each 

 side ; and the body, as with the rest of this genus, is spiny, the 

 spines in this case being black or very dark green. 



The chrysalis is brownish, and spotted with burnished gold in 

 variable quantity sometimes so plentifully as to cover the greater 

 part of the surface. 



The Peacock (Vanessa lo) 



This is another of our commonest and most beautiful butterflies. 

 Its general appearance is such that it cannot possibly be mistaken 

 for any other. The upper side (Plate IV, fig. 1) is rendered con- 

 spicuous by the beautiful eye-like marks at the costal angles of all 

 four wings ; and the under surface is very richly decorated with a 

 fine arrangement of black and dark-brown patches and streaks. 



lo is very abundant in all parts of England, and is well known 

 in many parts of Scotland and Ireland, but seems to be rare in the 

 extreme north of both of these countries. 



Its food plant is the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), and on this 

 the eggs are laid in April by females that have hybernated during 

 the winter. 



The caterpillar is full grown at the end of June or beginning of 

 July. It is black, with numerous minute white wart-like projec- 

 tions. Its spines also are black, and its claspers brown. 



The chrysalis may be found suspended by the tail^xm some 

 object in the neighbourhood of the food plant, or sometimes on the 

 food plant itself. It is of a greenish colour, with yellowish patches, 

 but turns darker as the time approaches for the emerging of the 

 perfect insect. 



This event takes place in August, and the butterfly, after a brief 

 period on the wing, seeks out a sheltered spot for its winter nap. 



The Cambertvell Beauty (Vanessa Antiopa) 



The reader will be fortunate if he succeeds in netting a specimen 

 of this highly prized British butterfly. It derives its popular name 

 from the fact that a few were taken in Cainberwell about a hundred 

 and fifty years ago ; and since that time it has been seen and taken 

 in variable numbers in several parts of England. So widely dis- 



