popular Sfrtt0narj> of ^uimatetr tfaturr. 721 



occurs pretty abundantly in lanes, woods, 

 and commons where nettles and thistle* 

 j abound. The wings above are of a pur- 

 plish hue, with the base and hinder mar- 

 gin dusky ash, and a large ocelliform spot 



on each wing, the posterior wings having 

 towards the margin a large ocellus, with a 

 large black pupil spotted with blue, and a 

 gray iris, terminated anteriorly with a black 

 crescent. The under side of the wings are 

 glossy brown, marbled and spotted with 

 black : the body is dusky, with rusty down ; 

 the antennas blackish, the tip yellow. The 

 Caterpillar is glossy black, spotted with 

 white : the chrysalis green, dotted with gold. 



VANESSA ATALAKTA ; or RED ADMIRAL 

 BUTTERFLY. Common as this species is, it 

 is one of the most splendid of the British 

 butterflies : the intense black of its wings 

 being so beautifully relieved by the red fascia 

 and pure white spots, and the marbled vein- 

 ings of its posterior wings beneath, defying 

 the utmost efforts of the painter's skill. The 

 wings above are deep silken black ; the an- 

 terior with a central-bent orange-red band, 

 sometimes bearing a round white spot to- 

 wards the anal angle of the wing : between 

 this and the tip are six white spots, the largest 

 on the costa ; and between them and the 

 margin is a slight bluish wave : the posterior 



wings have a broad orange-red border, with 

 a transverse series of black triangular dots, 

 and some black spots on the cilia ; the tip 

 of the inner areolet is varied with bluish, 

 and the black dot in the following areolet is 

 also sometimes externally edged with blue : 

 beneath, the anterior wings have the central 



band interrupted with white, and blue 

 streaks ; beyond these are seen the three 

 larger spots of the upper surface ; two in* 

 perfect ocelli occupy the place of two others. 

 and the costal areolet is black, marbled with 

 blue. Nothing can excel the beautiful va- 

 riegations of tne posterior wings, mottled 

 with black, brown, and pale fulvous ; in the 

 middle of the anterior margin is a pale tri- 

 angular spot, a band of obscure ocelli paral- 

 lel with the hinder margin, and a streak of 

 silken blue between this and the margin, 

 all the wings, both above and below, are 

 fringed with white, interrupted at the ner- 

 vures with black. Body black above, gray- 

 ish beneath ; antennae black, annulated with 

 white, the tip rather yellow : palpi black 



above, white rides, and yellowish 



The caterpillar is greenish, or dusky, with a 



yellowish spotted line on each side : it feedi 



on the Urtica uren* and U. dioica. The 



chrysalis is dusky, or gray, with golden 



spots. 



VANELLU8. [See LAPWIKO.] 

 VANG A. A genus of Passerine birds, in- 

 digenous to South America, and allied to the 

 Shrikes and Flycatchers. They are dis- 

 tinguished by a large beak, very much com- 

 pressed throughout, its tip strongly hooked, 

 and that of the lower mandible bent down- 

 wards. 



VELI A. A genus of Hemi pterous insects ; 

 belonging to which is a British species ( Velio, 

 current), commonly seen running on the 

 surface of brooks. The antenna are fili- 

 form, with the sheath of the sucker only 

 two-jointed ; the legs moderately long, and 

 placed at equal distances apart. 



VENEER [MOTHST. A name given by 

 collectors to Moths of the genus Chilo. 



VENERICARDIA. A genus of Acepha- 

 lous Testacea, inhabiting an almost round 

 shell, the muscular imprcsrions in which in- 

 dicating that the animal has a resemblance 

 to that of the Carditse andllnio. both of which 

 approach the Cardia in general form and in 

 1 1 iv direction of their ribs. 



VENUS. A genus of Conchiferous Mol- 

 lusca, which are found buried in the sand, 

 at a short distance from the shore, particu- 

 arly in hot climates. The recent species 

 are very numerous ; most of the animals 

 serving as food for man ; while amongst the 

 shells are some so beautiful as to full.vjustify 

 the name given to the genus. They are 

 equivalve, inequilateral, nearly round or 

 oval, transverse, externally rugose, striated, 

 ribbed, cancellated or smooth ; margins en- 

 tire, simple, close; bosses slightly turned 

 on one side ; ligament external, and on the 

 longest side. "The species Venus merce- 

 naria is cut by the North American Indians 

 into beads, of which they construct their 

 Wampum or treaty belts, and the shells are 

 also used amongst them as money, and are 

 made into ornaments for their dresses." 



VERME8. The name by which ancient 

 naturalists designated a class of all the lower 

 animals resembling the earthworm, but con- 



