INSECTS. 



139 



margin of the hind wing. The female possesses, in 

 addition, two round black patches on the middle of 

 each fore wing. Under side of the fore wings milky 

 white, yellow at the tip, blackish at the root ; under 

 side of the hind wings yellow, with black dots. 

 Caterpillar (Fig. 95) : As much as 1^ inch long ; 

 greenish, or sulphur yellow, with black dots. Head 

 and dorsal side of last segment of the body grey with 

 black spots. Young specimens are of a very bright 

 green with black wartlets closely crowded together. 



From the pupse which have lived through the 

 winter butterflies emerge in May, and lay their golden 

 yellow eggs in small heaps on the under sides of the 



Fig. 96.— The Cabbage White (Pleris irassica) female laying her eggs ; 

 caterpillar, and pupa. 



leaves of rape, mustard, and cress, also on charlock 

 and such-like cruciferous weeds. The caterpillars of 

 this first generation are hatched in fourteen days, and 

 rarely do any harm, since they only appear in small 

 numbers. They develop rapidly, and during the last 

 days of June become pupse on the branches and 

 leaves of the plants they live on; the butterflies 

 appear in July. Owing to their rapid development 

 the caterpillars and pupse of this first generation 

 are but little exposed to the attacks of enemies 



