THE FRIT1LLARIES. 



37 



resembles A. paphia, while the female is olive-green marked with white, and might well be supposed 

 to be allied to Apatura or Limenitis. A new genus was actually formed for its reception when it was 

 first discovered. Among the most striking of the North American species are A. diana, with a black 

 male, broadly edged with orange, and a green female, spotted with whitish, and A. idalia, one of the 

 largest Butterflies of the genus, which has reddish fore wings, and blackish hind wings, with two rows 

 of whitish spots above. The caterpillars of Argynnis are spiny, and mostly feed on different kinds of 



violets. 



Melitcea is another genus of small Fi itillaries, of which we have three representatives in Great 

 Britain. They are tawny, with black lines and spots above, and the under side of the hind wings is 

 more or less banded or chequered with yellowish or reddish, being marked with black lines, and some- 

 times spots. The British species are local, though common where they occur. Several others are 

 found on the Continent, two of which are black with white markings ; but the greatest variety and 

 the largest known species of Melitcea are to be met with in California. Many of these are black, 

 with transverse rows of 

 yellowish spots, some- 

 times alternating with 

 reddish ones. 



The European spe- 

 cies of Vanessa, kc., 

 are less numerous than 

 the Fritillaries, but pre- 

 sent a much greater 

 variety of colour and 

 markings. Their larvte 

 are spiny, and feed on 

 nettles, thistles, elms, 

 willows, &c. The smallest 

 species of this group, 

 though common on the 

 Continent in damp 

 woods, is not British. 

 This is A raschnia prorsa, 

 a Butterfly which ex- 

 hibits the phenomenon 

 known as " seasonal 

 dimorphism " in its 



greatest perfection. It expands less than an inch and a half. The hind margins of the fore wings 

 have two slight projections, and the hind wings have one projection in the middle, making the outer 

 margin nearly rectangular. The spiny black caterpillar, which is sometimes striped with brown, lives 

 gregariously on nettles. The spring brood of the Butterfly is found in April and May. It is 

 fulvous, spotted with black. There are three white spots near the tip of the fore wings, and rows 

 of black spots across all the wings. The under surface is brownish-red, varied with violet and pale 

 yellow, with pale yellow veins and transverse lines. But the summer brood of the same Butterfly, 

 which is met with in July and August, is utterly different, and until the specific identity of the two 

 was proved by breeding and observation, it was naturally supposed to be a totally distinct species. 

 It is black, with a red marginal line, and a white transverse band, which is interrupted on the fore 

 wings. The under side is redder than in the spring brood, with white instead of yellow markings. 

 Intermediate varieties are occasionally met with. This Butterfly is called " the Map " in France and 

 Germany, probably in allusion to the character of the markings on the under surface of the wings. 



The Comma Butterfly (Vanessa C -album} has strongly dentated wings, more so than any 

 other British Butterfly, giving it at first sight the appearance of being very tattered. It is of a deep 

 fulvous, with dark brown spots and borders. The under surface is brown, black, greyish, or greenish, 

 but the hind wings are always marked with a white C beneath. There is only one other species of 



TRANSFORMATIONS OF QVEEN OF SPAIN FRITILLARY (ArfJ-jnnis 



