THE CATAGRAMMA BUTTERFLIES. 



is deeper, and the metallic spots of the under surface larger and brighter. The upper 

 surface of this handsome insect is rich ruddy chestnut, and on the under side of the 

 wings are a number of large spots which shine as if they had been plated with silver, and 

 then carefully burnished. It is necessarily impossible to represent this peculiar metallic 

 lustre in a simple engraving, but a good idea of its real beauty may be formed by im- 

 agining the ground color of the upper wings to be pale chestnut, that of the under wings 

 wood-brown, and all the spots to be composed of highly burnished silver leaf. 



To this family belongs the brightly colored genus Vanessa, of which the common 

 PEACOCK BUTTERFLY is a familiar British example. This insect, which is one of the 

 finest of our British butterflies, is very common in our country, and may be seen very 

 plentifully in fields, roads, or woods, when the beauty of its coloring never fails to 

 attract admiration. 



One of the most notable peculiarities in this butterfly is the uniform dark hues of the 

 under side, which present a great contrast to the varied shades of blue and red which 



decorate the upper side. The object of this 

 arrangement seems to be that the insect 

 may be able to conceal itself from its foe at 

 will, a purpose which is readily attained by a 

 very simple manoeuvre. When the Peacock 

 Butterfly thinks itself in danger, it flies 

 straightway to some shaded spot, such as a 

 tree trunk or old palings, closes its wings 

 over its back, and remains motionless. The 

 effect of this proceeding is, that the wide 

 expanse of bright colors is suddenly replaced 

 by a flat, dark, leaf-like object, which looks 

 more like a piece of bark torn from the tree 

 than an insect. The apparent vanishing 

 of the butterfly has always a rather startling 

 effect even to those who are accustomed to it, 

 the large brilliant creature disappearing as 

 mysteriously as if annihilated or covered with 

 the cap of darkness. 



The caterpillar of the Peacock Butterfly 

 feeds upon the stinging-nettle, in common 

 with others of the same genus, and therefore 

 the insect is worthy of our protection. Its 

 general shape and appearance may be 

 gathered from a reference to the illustration ; 

 its general color is black, studded with tiny 

 white points. The chrysalis is one of those 

 which hang suspended during the time of 

 their nonage, and is frequently found to be infested with the ichneumon-fly. 



The beautiful SCARLET ADMIRAL, so well known by the broad scarlet stripes that are 

 drawn over the wings; the LARGE and SMALL TORTOISESHELL BUTTERFLIES ; the COMMA 

 BUTTERFLY, so called from a comma-shaped white mark on the under wings, and the rare 

 and beautiful CAMBERWELL BEAUTY, are all British members of this genus. 



THE insects which are represented in this engraving are all members of the genus 

 Catagramma, and can easily be distinguished by the remarkable manner in which the 

 under surface of the lower wings is colored. There is in all a somewhat circular 

 arrangement of lines, which in many species take the form of a figure of 8 more or less 

 distinctly outlined. The generic name Catagramma refers to this peculiarity, and is 

 derived from a Greek word signifying a delineation. They are all inhabitants of the 

 warmer portions of the New World. 



The uppermost figure in the illustration is the Catagramma Peristera (or the Pigeon 

 Catagramma), so called because the changing shade of the wings bear some resemblance 



PEACOCK BUTTERFLY. Vanessa 7o. 



