FRITILLARIES. 



entomological loveliness. The great abundance 

 of the narrow-leaved plantain, which also 

 grows there, affords food for their caterpillars. 

 The spring of last year (1845), on the other 

 hand, was so very backward, that on visiting 

 that locality at a date some fortnight later 

 than the above, so far from either flowers or 

 butterflies being visible, the caterpillars were 

 still feeding, and I could discover but few 

 chrysalids. These latter are found adhering, 

 just above the surface of the ground, to the 

 knotted stems of the plantain, which here 

 consists of aged plants, each with but a few 

 stunted leaves ; and occasionally on the under- 

 side of large stones which have fallen from 

 the cliff ; and they are suspended and partly 

 surrounded in the latter case with a fine web. 

 They are also generally to be found in pairs. 

 The caterpillars evidently prefer these stunted 

 plants, for at the base of the declivity, where 

 the plantain grows luxuriantly, not one is to 

 be seen. They are black and spiny, with red 

 heads and legs; being hatched iu August tliey 

 pass the winter in societies, under a kind of 

 tent, formed by a compact web, brought 

 round and over the stems of grasses. I have 

 found several of these societies on the 27th of 

 August, the individuals which composed them 

 being about a quarter of an inch long, rolled 

 up like little balls. All these societies occurred 

 at the base of the declivity, where the herbage 

 grows most luxuriantly ; and when the cater- 

 pillars have attained sufficient strength in the 

 spring, they are invariably seen ascending 

 towards the higher parts of the slope. And 

 herein I imagine that I recognize a beautiful 

 instance of natural instinct, both in the but- 

 terfly and caterpillar. The former deposits 

 its eggs low down in the declivity, where the 

 young brood may rest most securely, sheltered 

 and least exposed to the wintry storms ; but 

 when the caterpillars are sufficiently advanced 

 in growth, they ascend to the higher parts of 

 the steep, and feed and undergo their trans 

 formation. Were the chrysalis formed below, 

 they would probably have too much moisture 

 and too little sun ; whereas, by being formed 

 higher up, they have a sufficiency of both to 

 bring them to maturity. This butterfly is 



single brooded ; but there is a succession of 

 them, varying in duration according to the 

 season. The earliest date on which I have 

 met with it is May 1st the litest in July; 

 but in the latter case the specimens were bred 

 in captivity. I never remember to have wen 

 it so late in the state of liberty ; not later, 

 indeed, than the middle of June here. They 

 are very difficult to rear from the caterpillars, 

 and those I have bred are not only disclosed 

 much later than in the state of freedom, but 

 are not nearly so tine and perfect. They in 

 general fly slowly and gracefully, except when 

 alarmed, gliding gently from flower to flower. 

 I have taken as many as two dozen without 

 moving from the spot where I stood, as they 

 successively visited the stems of the grasses 

 round me. This fritillary was much less 

 plentiful last season than heretofore ; and in 

 some of its former haunts has quite disap- 

 peared. It has many foes ; for besides the 

 march of improvement in cultivation which 

 gradually invades its haunts, the same natural 

 causes which promote its abundance also 

 multiply its enemies. Two necrophagous 

 beetles, S'dpha obscura and S'. tristin, destroy 

 the caterpillar ; and a large "round spider, 

 very numerous in the spots which it frequents, 

 feeds on the perfect insect; it lies in wait till 

 the butterfly alights on the low plants, or on 

 the ground, then rushing forward, seizes it by 

 the neck, and holds it captive with such 

 tenacity, that both insects may almost be 

 pulled in pieces ere it will relax its grasp." 



TIME OP APPEARANCE. The caterpillar 

 lives through the winter ; the chrysalids are 

 to be found in May and June, and the butter- 

 flies are on the wing in the same months. 



LOCALITIES. Few species of butterfly are 

 more restricted in their range than this. I 

 know of but three counties where it has been 

 found, as under : 



Hampshire. Near Brockenhurst, in the 

 New Forest J. C. Dale. 



Kent. Cliffs near St. Margaret's Bay 

 W. 0. Hammond. 



Wight, Isle of. Undercliff, near Sandown, 

 discovered by B. Newman in 1824 ; Sandown 

 J. F. Dawson in 1844; plentiful in the 



