OBSERVATIONS ON VANESSA C-ALBUM. 3il 



The first brood is, however, I consider, always less numerous 

 than the second one. This season the autumn flight has been 

 exceedingl}' plentiful in the west midlands ; and in one of its 

 south Shropshire haunts I have captured as many as twenty 

 specimens in the course of a couple of hours, though as a rule 

 not more than from two to four specimens are upon the average 

 seen in a single day. It has likewise been very abundant in 

 several Worcestershire localities, visited by myself this autumn. 



Now for a word or two respecting the larva, concerning 

 which my experiences differ from those of Humphreys, who 

 says, on p. 50 of his valuable work, that " the larva is not grega- 

 rious " ; for wherever I have found the caterpillar I may always 

 expect to obtain some more within a foot or two of the spot. It 

 feeds in small companies of from three to a dozen individuals, 

 about half a dozen being the average number, and I have always 

 found them upon the stinging-nettle in the localities where I 

 usually look for them ; never upon hop or any other plant; so that 

 it seems strange why the butterfly should be so circumscribed in 

 its distribution. 



This circumstance reminds me that I have a few lines to pen 

 relating to its geographical distribution in the British Isles. Its 

 head-quarters in South Britain appear to be the west midland 

 counties of England (especially in Worcestershire and Hereford- 

 shire), as well as in the adjoining eastern counties of the little 

 principality. Outside this area it appears to be generally scarce, 

 and very uncertain in its appearance ; and it is strange that this 

 should be so in Kent, where hops are very extensively cultivated. 



In Scotland it appears to be only a very rare visitor ; some 

 authors, indeed, assert that it is unknown there altogether. Dr. 

 Lang, for instance, p. 170, says that it is "altogether absent 

 from Scotland"; while Newman, p. 60, observes that he has "no 

 knowledge of a Scotch specimen." Humphreys, however, p. 50, 

 gives Fifeshire as a locality for it in North Britain. Has any 

 reader any recent record of its occurrence in the Northern 

 Kingdom ? 



In Ireland this butterfly is also very rarely observed, though 

 possibly it may be more frequent there than is generally supposed 

 to be the case. May I ask why Mr. W. F. de V. Kane does not 

 include this species in his " Catalogue," in the face of what 

 Newman says respecting its occurrence in the sister Isle ? 



The flight of this elegant species is very swift, and it requires 

 one to be very quick to enable him to secure it. 



It is principally to be found in open spots in woods, or sailing 

 along hedgerows. It is very fond of settling upon brown leaves, 

 with its wings open, being perfectly conscious of its close re- 

 semblance to them in colour; but whenever it settles upon a 

 tree-trunk or a gate-post, which it also possesses a great predi- 

 lection for, it immediately closes its organs of locomotiouj 



