88 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



margin. The variety shown on Plate 57 has the under side 

 of the hind wings buff in colour, the markings on the outer 

 margin are reddish-brown with a few silvery scales towards the 

 anal angle, and the basal silvery spots are confluent, agreeing 

 in the latter character with the preceding variety, and also with 

 var. charlotta of the next species. In var. deodoxa the spots 

 on the under side are yellowish instead of silvery, but the red 

 spots on the outer area are sometimes silver centred ; this 

 form is only rarely found in Britain. Possibly some of the 

 reputed British examples of A. niobe may have been referable 

 to deodoxa, but what appears to be more certain is that the 

 actual occurrence of niobe in England is exceedingly doubtful. 



The egg when newly laid is yellowish-green ; it afterwards 

 turns pink, and then rosy red ; during the winter it changes 

 to greyish- or bluish -green. As a rule, the eggs are laid 

 at the end of July, and the caterpillars do not hatch until 

 the following March or early in April. In 1893, however, 

 Mr. Frohawk had a few caterpillars hatch out between the 

 middle of August and September 20, from a number of eggs 

 laid at the end of June. One of these, fed up, pupated on 

 October 13, and the butterfly emerged on November 21. The 

 majority of the eggs remained over to the following spring. 

 According to an observation made by Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher, 

 the caterpillar is fully formed soon after the egg is laid, but 

 remains within the shell all the winter. 



The caterpillar, which feeds upon dog-violet, and also the 

 sweet violet, is figured on Plate 53. The head is pinkish- 

 brown, covered with short greyish bristles. Body black, in- 

 crusted with ochreous grey on the sides, and on the back marked 

 with ochreous grey on the hinder half of each ring ; dorsal line 

 white. The branched spines are pinkish-brown. 



The chrysalis is deep brown, freckled with paler ; points 

 along the back of the body brilliant greenish-golden, as also 

 are the four points on the thorax. The wing-cases are rather 



