190 



the caterpillars of Dia produced the same result. Hence appears the reason 

 why those butterflies, and Selene likewise, are so common in spring and early 

 summer, whilst so very few are found in autumn. 



Argynnis Euphrosyne is one of the commonest of the butterflies attached 

 to woods, and occurs all over Europe, except the extreme south, such as 

 Spain and Portugal, Southern Italy, Sicily, &c., and is also found in Northern 

 and Western Asia. It has never been recorded from Ireland, but is one of 

 the very commonest of wood butterflies throughout England. It swarms in 

 the London district, as in Darenth and Birch Woods, and is equally abundant 

 in Northumberland and Durham. It seems to be more common in the 

 northern than in the southern parts of Scotland, especially in Rosshire, but 

 does not occur in Caithness. It is not a common species in Perthshire, but 

 is found in the Scone Woods and at the Bridge of Allan. 



The first record we have of it as being a British species is in Hay's " His- 

 toria Insectorum," published in 1710. Ray names it the April Fritillary, 

 and after describing it, ends with these words : " Hane speciem mini primum 

 ostendit, D. Dale." 



Petiver, in his " Papilionum Britannica Icones," published in 1717, writes, 

 " April Fritillary with few spots. This has but one oval silver spot in the 

 midst of the wings beneath. Frequent in Cain Wood." 



Lewin, in his "Insects of Great Britain," 1795, writes, "This butterfly is 

 very plentiful in all our woods, and is the first of the Fritillaries that makes 

 its appearance on the wing in the spring of the year, I have seen it flying as 

 early as the I2th of April. The caterpillar is unknown." 



ARGY1NNIS SELENE. 

 Dark Pearl-bordered Fritillary. 



SELENE, Fab. Sele'ne, the Greek name for Luna, the Moon. 



This Fritillary expands in the width of the wings from an inch and a half 

 to a couple of inches. On the upperside they are fulvous spotted and marked 

 with black. On the underside the hind- wings are of a dull yellow or 

 ochreous with dark red blotches, a row of silver semi-circular spots along the 

 hind-margin, and several other silver spots about the centre and base of the 

 wing. It is liable to considerable variation like the last species, specimens 

 occurring of a buff, orange, or almost a white ground colour. A very beauti- 

 ful variety, in Mr. Webb's collection, is figured in Mr. Mosley's " Illustrations 

 of Varieties of Lepidoptera." The forewing of this specimen has two rows 

 of small spots at the hind-margin, and only two others on the costa behind 

 the centre, while the hindwing is all black at the base, and the wing rays 



