204 



but these differences, though clear to the eye, are difficult to describe in words. 



Merope, Prun. is an Alpine form and appoaches the Scotch or North of 

 England specimens, but it is much less densely scaled and has a semi-trans- 

 parent look, sometimes it is all black and straw colour, except the outer red 

 band on the hind-margins. 



The variety Sibiriea, Staud., occuring in Siberia, differs from most north- 

 ern specimens, for it is paler than any other, while northern forms are 

 generally dark. Sibirica is the same as Desfontainesii, Evers. The 

 Spanish and African form is called Desfontainesii, Godt., and is the same as 

 Desfontainesii y Boisd. and Herrich-Schaffer. It is more uniformly fulvous 

 than any other. The Turkish specimens are paler on the under, and more 

 varied on the upperside, and are called Orientalis, H-S. 



An allied species Cynthia, Hub., bearing a close resemblance to the var. 

 Hibernica, Bir., occurs on the higher Alps. 



The egg is of an ovate shape, truncated at the top, and slightly flattened 

 at the bottom, and is ribbed from the top for about half the length, the rest 

 of it being smooth : it is of a shining pale brown colour. The eggs are laid 

 in clusters of a hundred or so, on the face of a leaf. 



The caterpillar is of a velvety black with black spines, short and blunt 

 tipped, with short, radiating, black, and pointed hairs, and with numerous 

 white dots, in three not very clearly defined rows. The spines are branched, 

 and most numerous from the fifth segment. The head and legs are black, 

 the claspers smoke coloured. It feeds on the Devil's-bit Scabious (Scabiosa 

 succisa), and also on plantain. 



The chrysalis is short and stumpy, and of a pale stone colour, spotted 

 with black, turning brighter as the time of emergence approaches, when the 

 red and black markings may be seen through the skin. 



The butterfly is on the wing from the middle of May till the latter end of 

 June, or sometimes even later in the more northern localities. The cater- 

 pillars are gregarious when first hatched, and draw the leaves down together, 

 while they live under shelter of the tent thus formed, and devour the under- 

 side of the leaves only. They feed but slowly during summer, and pass the 

 winter low down among the leaves of the food- plant, or other herbage, which 

 are drawn together as described. On the approach of warmer weather they 

 leave their hybernaculum, and feed quite exposed, being apparently as fond 

 of the rays of the sun as the rest of the genus. When full-fed they seek the 

 underside of a leaf, or similar shelter for their final change, which takes 

 place in the latter end of April, or the beginning of May. 



Two species of parasitic Hymenoptera have been bred from it, Apanteles 

 Bignellii, Marsh., and spurius, Wesmael. 



