14 CATALOGUE OF BFTTERFLTES. 



many sheep had been put on this land, that they had eaten 

 everything down to the roots, and the butterfly had again dis- 

 appeared. I have no doubt it may be found in most dry pastures, 

 where Antliyllis grows freely. The larvse have the curious 

 habit of feeding up in the autumn, and remaining unchanged 

 till the following May, the pupa state lasting only about three 

 weeks. 



NYMPHALID^. 



VANESSA, Fab. 



13. Vanessa C-album (Linn.). Comma. 



Vanessa C-alhum. Barrett's Lep. Brit. Is., vol. 1, p. 124. 

 Grapta ,, Staint. Man., vol. 1, p. 40. 



,', ,, !N"ewm. Brit. Butt., p. 48. 



Larva. Buck., vol. 1, pi. ix., fig. 3 ; Wils., pi. iii., fig. 1. 



Wallis says of this species, *'The Tortoise-shell Butterfly 

 with lacinated wings is not unfrequent in vale-meadows and 

 gardens in August." At that time it was probably widely 

 distributed over both counties. It is not in the Twizell list, 

 but there was a specimen in the collection when Mr. Evans 

 examined it for me. More recent records are, '' Castle Eden 

 Dene, and occasionally in Pelaw "Woods, May and September." — 

 Ornsby's Durham. It was common in Castle Eden Dene thirty 

 years ago, and I have taken it in spring and much more abun- 

 dantly in autumn, but whether it is double-brooded here as in 

 the Midlands and South I have not been able to verify, though 

 I think there is but one brood, and the May or June examples 

 are the hybernated females. Mr. Sang records it from Castle 

 Eden Dene and from Darlington. Mr. Backhouse also records 

 it from this Dene and at Shull. Mr. Eales also met with it at 

 Castle Eden and at St. John's in Weardale. A single specimen 

 is recorded as being taken at N^ewcastle by Mr. Hamilton, and 

 one was seen by Mrs. Bobson but not captured, in Hezleden 

 Dene near Hartlepool. It will be observed that with the 

 exception of Wallis no observer records it from I^orthumber- 



