MELITVEA. 77 



Melitcea cinxia, Steph., 111. Brit. Enc. Haust., i., p. 33 (1827); 

 Kirby, Eur. Butterflies and Moths, p. 15, pi. 8, figs. 5, a-d 

 (1878); Lang, Butterflies Eur., p. 185, pi. 44, fig. i 

 (1883); Buckler, Larvae Brit. Butterflies and Moths, i., 

 pi. xi., figs. 3, 3a (1886); Barrett, Lepid. Brit. Isl., i,, 

 p. 190, pi. 27, figs, i, i, a-d (1892). 



The Glanville Fritillary is the most local species of the 

 genus, and is at present almost confined, in England, to a few 

 localities in the Isle of Wight. It represents a section of the 

 genus Melitcea in which the under surface of the hind-wings is 

 marked with rows of conspicuous black spots, and not simply 

 with lines. It derives its name from a certain lady Glanville 

 who lived in the reign of Charles II. After her death, it was 

 attemped to set aside her will on the ground of insanity, the 

 principal evidence relied upon by the disputants being her 

 fondness for collecting Butterflies. The species appears in 

 May and June, like the other smaller Fritillaries, but, as a 

 rule, prefers drier localities. 



The Butterfly expands about three-quarters of an inch, and 

 is fulvous, with numerous black dashes and interrupted lines ; 

 the base and hind-margins are black. The fore-wings are pale 

 fulvous beneath, with a few black dots ; the tip is yellow. 

 The hind-wings are fulvous, with some yellow spots near the 

 base; a broad yellow band extends across the middle, and 

 there is a row of yellow marginal spots. The yellow markings 

 are more or less bordered with black, and there is a row of 

 black spots intersecting the central band, another row on the 

 marginal series, and several others near the base. 



The larvae are black, with transverse rows of white dots, 

 and the head and pro-legs are tawny. They feed on the 

 narrow-leaved plantain (Plantago lanceolata\ mouse-ear, hawk- 

 weed (Hieracium pilosella\ and the common germander speed- 

 well (Veronica chamadrys}. They generally issue from thq 



