WOOD WHITE BUTTERFLY. 1 29 



short and flat, with the basal joint large and conical, 

 the second short and quadrate, and the third or ter- 

 minal one minute, and almost glohular ; and by the 

 shape of the wings, which are very narrow, and al- 

 most elongate-oval, the surface wholly covered with 

 scales. The antennae have an abrupt compressed 

 club, and the legs, which are alike in both sexes, 

 terminate in bifid claws. 



It is much the smallest of our white Butterflies, 

 and the narrow elongated wings give it, as has been 

 well remarked, something of the appearance of a 

 Dragon-fly. The colour is nearly milk-white, the 

 base of all the wings somewhat dusky, and the tip 

 of the anterior pair with a large brown spot. On 

 the under side the latter are faintly tinged with green 

 at the tip, and the costa is sprinkled with black 

 points from the middle to the base. The under 

 side of the hinder wings is tinged with yellowish- 

 green, and sprinkled with ashy points, which form 

 indistinct clouds and bands. 



The caterpillar is usually found on the BirdVfoot 

 Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus ) , and Meadow Vetch- 

 ling ( Lathy r us pratensis). It is green, with a deep 

 yellow line along each side of the body. 



There are two broods of the butterfly each season, 

 one in May, the other in the end of July. Although 

 an abundant species in most parts of Europe, it is 

 rather scarce in Britain. In certain localities, how- 

 ever, it has been found in plenty; as in Darenth 

 I 



