165 



departure. In 1887, the June brood was unusually numerous, and individ- 

 uals came into my house as early as July, to enter into their long rest, and 

 were not even awakened by the hot weather of August. The summer brood 

 was particularly scarce, and after August was well in, I never saw a specimen 

 on the wing. Specimens, moreover, have been found hibernating in the 

 crevices of chalk, more than a foot below the surface. 



The first author in Britain to figure and describe it was Thomas Mouffett, 

 in 1633. 



Kay, in 1710, and Petiver in 1717, records it as being very common all 

 through the summer, and also in houses throughout the winter. 



Albin, in 171<9, writes : " The caterpillar was taken on the 26th of May, 

 feeding on the nettle, and on the 7th June some of them tied themselves up 

 by the tail, and changed into a chrysalis ; out of which came in fourteen days 

 a fly called the lesser Tortoise Shell, from its wings representing the shell of 

 that animal. This butterfly lives all the winter, and hides himself in cottages, 

 old trees, and other places of refuge. The chrysalides are often found gilded, 

 from whence it was called aurelia or chrysalis, which is now become the com- 

 mon name of the cases in which flies live while in this state. These produced 

 a brood of small Ichneumons." 



Wilkes, in 1773, writes : "The Small Tortoise Shell is very common and 

 breeds twice in the year. The first brood is towards the end of June, the 

 second about the end of August. The caterpillar may be taken full-fed about 

 the middle of June and the middle of August/' 



The following interesting notice of a swarm of these butterflies in mid- 

 winter is recorded by Mr. Banning, in the Isle of Man, see " Zoologist/' 

 Vol. XIV. : " Whilst standing in my farmyard on the day following Christ- 

 mas Day, 1855, it being unusually fine and warm, I was suddenly astonished 

 by the fall of more than a hundred Vanessa urlicae. I commenced at once 

 collecting them, and succeeded in securing more than sixty. These I fed on 

 sugar spread over cabbage leaves and bran until now, arid, to all appearances, 

 those which still survive (more than forty in number) are thriving well, and 

 in good condition. 



VANESSA POLYCHLOKOS. 

 Large Tortoise-shell. 



POLYCHLOROS, Linn. Polychl'oros. Linnseus took this name from Aldro- 

 vandus, who says (Ins. III., 245), " Septimus Polychloros dici queat, propter 

 colorein diversitatem/' (The seventh may be called Polychloros on account 

 of its varied colours). He seems to have confounded the Latin color with 

 with the Greek chloros, pale, A,L. 



