POLYGONIA. 87 



THE COMMA BUTTERFLY. POLYGONIA C.-ALBUM. 

 (Plate XVI., Figs, i, 2.) 



Papolio c.-album, Linn., Syst. Nat. (x.), i., p. 477, no. 115 

 (1758); id. Faun. Suec. (ii.), p. 279, no. 1059 (1761); 

 Esper, Schmett., i., pt. i., p. 175, pi. 13, fig. 3 (i777); *> 

 pt. 2, p. 53, pi. 59, fig. 3 (1780?). 



Vanessa c.-album, Steph., 111. Brit. Ent. Haust, i., p. 42 (1827) ; 

 Kirby, Eur. Butterflies and Moths, p. 13, pi. 7, figs. 2, a-d 

 (1878); Lang, Eur. Butterflies, p. 170, pi. 39, fig. 4 

 (1882); Barrett, Lepid. Brit. IsL, i., p. 121, pi. 18, figs. 

 i, i, a-e (1892). 



Grapta c.-album, Buckler, Larvae Brit. Lepid., i., pp. 57, 182 

 pi. ix., fig. 3 (1886). 



The Comma Butterfly was formerly much more abundant in 

 England than at present, and has almost entirely disappeared 

 from the south of England, where it was once abundant, within 

 the last fifty or sixty years, though there are many localities in 

 the midland and northern counties of England, as well as in 

 Wales, where it may still be met with. It is a hedgerow insect, 

 and is fond of settling on the ground and on the tree-trunks, 

 and is frequently found in company with Vanessa polychlorus. 

 It appears in June and July, and hibernated specimens are 

 sometimes seen in spring. 



The Comma Butterfly usually measures nearly two inches 

 across the wings, which are deep fulvous, with the hind- 

 margins brown. The fore-wings have three black spots on 

 the costa, three in the centre, and one on the inner margin. 

 The hind- wings are ornamented with black and brown. The 

 under surface is sometimes dark brown, but is often varied with 

 greenish or yellowish, and there is always a white mark like 

 the letter C on the under side of the hind-wings. 



The larva is reddish in front and white behind. The head 



L 



