FRIT ILL ARIES, VANE SS 'AS, PURPLE EMPEROR 169 



pink. The female may be distinguished by the presence of a small 

 white spot on the scarlet band of the fore wing. 



The eggs are deposited singly on the nettle (Urtica dioica) in 

 spring by females that have hybernated through the winter. 



The caterpillar always feeds under the cover of a tent made by 

 drawing leaves together. It is spiny, and its colour is usually a 

 greenish or yellowish grey, spotted with black, and striped along 

 the sides with white or yellow. When fully grown it bites the stem 

 of the nettle nearly through a few inches from the top, so that the 

 upper part of the plant bends over the withers. It then constructs 

 a commodious tent by binding the leaves of this drooping portion 

 together, and suspends itself from the roof of this strange home to 

 undergo its metamorphoses. 



The change to the chrysalis state takes place in July or August, 

 and the perfect insect may be seen during August, September, 

 and October in almost every part of the British Isles. 



The Painted Lady (Vanessa Cardui) 



Although the time of appearance of this butterfly generally 

 corresponds with that of the last species, yet it is exceedingly 

 variable, so much so that it is impossible to give any fixed period 

 as its season. It is, moreover, very capricious with regard to its 

 localities and its numbers. Sometimes it will turn up un- 

 expectedly in positive abundance in certain localities where 

 previously it had been a mere straggler ; and then, for some 

 unaccountable reason, become comparatively scarce for- several 

 successive seasons. 



The upper surface of this beauty (Plato IV, fig. 4) is adorned 

 with pale red, orange, and black, and with five white spots near 

 the tip of each fore wing. The under side of the fore wings is 

 marked something like the upper, but much of the black is replaced 

 by shades of brown. The hind wings are beautifully variegated 

 beneath with greys and browns, and have a row of eye-like spots 

 near the hind margin. 



The eggs of this butterfly are laid singly on various species of 

 thistles, particularly the common field thistle (Cnicus arvensis), 

 generally in the month of June. 



The caterpillar, which is black above and red beneath, with 

 yellowish stripes along the back and sides, feeds under the cover of a 

 silken web which it constructs among the leaves. It is full grown 



