630 



THE NATURE BOOK 



freezing temperatures, in 

 delicate butterfly clothed 



early l\lay a 

 in white and 



mottled-green (or, if a male insect, also 



A FEMALE CHALK-HILL BLUE iiUTTEKELV. 



bursts forth to 



the 

 (pre- 

 255) 



in bright orange hues), 

 greet the early sunlight. 



Both the White Admiral and 

 Silver-washed Fritillary butterflies 

 viously considered, pp. 127 and 

 spend the winter period as tiny cater- 

 pillars hidden amongst the leaves of their 

 food plants. The same may be said of the 

 Chalk- Hill Blue Butterfly (Lyccena corv- 

 don), illustrated on this page ; the photo- 

 graph shows the female insect. 



The elegant butterflies known as the 

 Blues are always attractive, though they 

 are small in size when compared with 

 those species I have considered earlier. 

 In the males the wings are generally 

 bright blue above, but in the females 

 they are usually brown tinged with 

 metallic blues or purples. Sometimes the 

 sexes are so different that they would 

 hardly be taken for the same species. 

 There are several genera of these insects, 

 and experts are often puzzled to make 

 quite sure of the identity of the various 



species. The large size and the pale 

 silvery-blue of the upper side of the wings, 

 which are also edged with black, will 

 usually distinguish the male Chalk-Hill 

 Blue as it flies in the chalk districts ; 

 from this latter characteristic it derives 

 its popular name. 



Turning to moths, we may first consider 

 the Black Arches (ihustrated p. 214), 

 for this insect winters in a remarkable 

 manner. In July the female insect 

 deposits her numerous eggs in suitable 

 situations amongst the crevices of the 

 bark, and about the newly formed buds. 

 In these situations the eggs remain for 

 the rest of the summer and throughout 

 the autumn, winter and a part of spring 

 — imtil early in April of the following year. 

 The curious feature is, however, that the 

 little caterpillar makes its appearance 

 within the egg late in autumn ; its 



"WOOLLY BEARS" AS THEY APPEAR JUST 

 BEFORE WINTER. 



variously coloured body (see illustration 

 p. 130) may be seen coiled up through 

 the transparent shell, though it docs not 

 break Ihc shell to emerge until April. 

 Such is an unusual method of hiber- 



