92 BRITISH INSECTS 



The little Duke of Burgundy fritillary l is the only 

 British representative of a family 2 whose headquarters 

 are in tropical America. The fore-legs of the male 

 are so much reduced that they are useless for walking. 

 The larva resembles those of the last family, but has 

 tufts of short, stiff hairs on its back. 



The swallow-tail butterfly 3 stands apart from the 

 other species, being one of the great family Papilionidtz, 

 whose members abound in the tropics. The six legs 

 are fully developed in both sexes, and the neuration of 

 the wings differs conspicuously from that of all other 

 butterflies. The larva is cylindrical, devoid of hairs, 

 and has behind the head a curious two-pronged 

 process. This is usually retracted and invisible ; but 

 it can be shot out and made to emit a strong odour 

 that is believed to protect the caterpillar from ichneu- 

 mons and other enemies. The pupa, which has two 

 projecting frontal tubercles (" nose-horns "), is fixed 

 by the tail to a pad of silk, and kept upright by a 

 silken girdle. This fixing of the pupa's tail, by the 

 way, is effected by a projection (the cremaster) which is 

 beset with microscopic hooks that become entangled 

 with the silk fibres. 



The " white butterflies," including the orange-tip, 

 brimstone, and clouded-yellows, make up the family 

 Pieridce. They agree with the swallow-tail in having 

 all six legs fully developed in both sexes ; but the 

 wing-neuration is different. Moreover, the larva is 

 clothed with close, short hairs, while the pupa has 

 only one "nose-horn." 



Members of the family Nymphalida, which com- 

 prises our fritillaries, tortoiseshells, meadow-browns, 

 etc., differ from all other butterflies in the fact that the 

 fore-legs are much reduced, and useless for walking, 

 1 Nemeobius lucina. 2 Lemoniidez. 3 Papilio machaon. 



