198 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 



and the strawberry-leaved cinquefoil (Potentilla Fragariastruni), 

 and is full fed about the end of June. 



The chrysalis is greyish, spotted with black. It is rather elon- 

 gated, and without angles, but has a short and sharp projection 

 extending backwards from the ' tail.' 



The Dingy Skipper (Nisoniades Tages) 



Colour a dingy brown, indistinctly barred and spotted with a 

 darker tint, and having a row of small white spots just inside the 

 fringe of the hind margins. Under side a paler brown, with rows 

 of small white spots. 



This butterfly is common in all parts of England, and is found 

 in a few localities in Scotland and Ireland. It frequents dry 

 banks, and is particularly partial to the chalky districts of the 

 south-eastern counties. It is on the wing in May, and a second 

 brood appears in lesser numbers in August. 



The caterpillar is pale green, with two yellow stripes on each 

 side, and a row of black spots above each stripe. It feeds on the 

 bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), and may be found in June, 

 and again in September. 



The chrysalis (Plate VIII, fig. 12) is shaped something like that 

 of the last species, and is coloured green on the front segments) 

 and a rose red on the abdomen. 



The perfect insect is represented in fig. 12 of Plate VII. 



The Small Skipper (Hesperia Thaumas) 



In briefly describing the various British butterflies no mention 

 has bean made, except in a few cases, of the shape of the wings, 

 this matter having been left to the reader's own observations of 

 our illustrations. We will, however, call attention to the some- 

 what square -cut form of the wings of Thaumas and the following 

 species. 



The above-named butterfly (Plate VII, fig. 13) is a lively- 

 looking little insect, its wings being of a bright tawny orange 

 colour, bordered with black, beyond which is a light fringe. The 

 male, which is the sex figured, is distinguished from the female by 

 an oblique black streak across the middle of the front wings. 

 The under side is orange, with a decidedly greenish tinge. 



The butterfly is out in July, and is very abundant and widely 

 distributed. It lays its eggs on various grasses, particularly the 

 meadow soft-grass (Holcus lanatus). 



