290 THE PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY. 



other insects, counterfeit death when apprehensive 

 of danger, fall on its back, and appear in all re- 

 spects devoid of life when in a box ; and, as soon 

 as a fit opportunity arrived, dart away with its 

 usual celerity. 



On the blue heads of the pasture scabious (sca- 

 biosa succisa) we occasionally see, toward the end 

 of the summer, the painted lady butterfly (papilio 

 cardui) ; but this is a creature that visits us at 

 very uncertain periods, and is vivified by causes 

 infinitely beyond the comprehension of the ento- 

 mologist, seeming to require a succession and 

 variety of seasons and their change, and then 

 springing into life we know not how. This was 

 particularly obvious in the summer of 1815, and 

 the two following, which were almost unceasingly 

 cold and rainy ; scarcely a moth or butterfly ap- 

 peared. And in the early part of 1818, the season 

 was not less ungenial ; a few half-animated crea- 

 tures alone struggled into being; yet this " painted 

 lady " was fostered into life, and became the com- 

 monest butterfly of the year : it has, however, but 

 very partially visited us since that period. The 

 keenest entomologist, perhaps, would not much 

 lament the absence of this beauty, if such cheerless 

 seasons were always requisite to bring it to perfec- 

 tion. Some years ago a quantity of earth was 

 raised in cutting a canal in this county ; and, in 

 the ensuing summer, on the herbage that sprang 



