FIELD NOTES ON SOME ENGLISH BUTTERFLIES 237 



or upon which they congregate for Be careful in opening the retreat, for 

 moulting, basking, or other purposes, the spines of the thistle are sharp, 

 If the caterpillars we find are black, although those of the caterpillar are 

 speckled with minute white dots, they not. In general appearance this eater- 

 will produce the peacock butterfly ; pillar is not very different to that of 

 or if they are greenish-grey or ochreous the tortoiseshell seen on the nettle, 

 grey, with paler lines along the back but it is stouter, 

 and sides, then the small tortoiseshell The painted lady is closely related 

 may be expected to result from them, to the peacock and the tortoiseshells, 

 When full-grown such caterpillars are but, unlike those species, it is always 

 rather formidable looking creatures, solitary in the caterpillar state. The 

 clad as they are in spiky armour, eggs are laid singly on leaves of 

 They may, however, be handled with thistle, and occasionally on burdock 

 impunity as the apparently sharp point or mallow. The caterpillar just inter- 

 of the spines yield to the touch and viewed was almost certainly from an 

 are incapable of penetrating the skin, egg laid by a female butterfly that 

 The repellant character of this style of had passed through its own early stages 

 caterpillar clothing is effective enough in some far distant country, possibly 

 no doubt in the case of birds. It is, in Africa. Almost incredible it may 

 however, not efficient in securing seem that butterflies can travel great 

 immunity from the attack of parasitic distances, but it has been pretty clearly 

 flies. established that they do so. 



Now we will look at those thistles A good many species of butterflies, 



growing on the common where a and a larger number of moths, are 



painted lady butterfly was seen on the well known to be migratory, and quite 



wing a week or two ago. Yes ! here a respectable contingent of these find 



are signs of a caterpillar having fed their way to this country. Among 



upon this plant. The fleshy parts of immigrant butterflies that arrive here 



these leaves are completely demolished, most regularly is the painted lady 



but they still remain fastened together just adverted to, next in order come 



by silken threads. A little lower down the clouded yellow and its cousin the 



the plant there is a freshly constructed pale clouded yellow. The Camberwell 



habitation, and in it the maker will be beauty pays us very irregular visits, 



found. Ah ! there he is, sure enough, but does not reproduce its kind in Great 



