182 



COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



the fact that the hind wings form a sort of receptacle 

 in which the abdomen lies. The larv do not possess 

 the nuchal horn, and are wider in the middle and 

 narrower at the two ends. The insects which com- 

 pose this family are the most familiar of our English 

 Butterflies, and are popularly known as White Butter- 

 flies. There are, however, several White Butterflies 

 that do not belong to this group, and several that 

 belong to it which can scarcely be called white. How- 

 ever, the popular name is expressive, though not 

 wholly accurate. 



We will proceed at once to the best known of all 

 our Butterflies, the LARGE WHITE BUTTERFLY 

 (Pieris brassica), which is drawn in the accompanying 

 woodcut. As to the colours of this insect, they are 

 simply black and white, so that the illustration gives 

 us a very good idea of the colour as well as of the 



form of the insect. The 

 specimen represented is 

 a male ; the female 

 being similarly coloured, 

 but without the two 

 large black spots on the 

 fore wings. In its lar- 

 val condition this is a 

 most destructive crea- 

 ture, and does great 

 damage to the plant 

 from which it takes its 

 name. It is, in fact, so 

 destructive that those who keep kitchen gardens, or 

 are interested in agriculture, should ruthlessly kill 



Pieris brassicae. 



