92 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



keels, irregularly formed and of different lengths, some not 

 reaching halfway up the side, and others running the entire 

 length from base to crown, where they terminate abruptly, and 

 form a series of triangular peaks round the summit surrounding 

 the granulated micropyle ; the spaces between the keels are 

 finely ribbed transversely. When first laid it is of a very pale 

 lemon-yellow colour, inclining to ochreous, appearing almost 

 white in certain lights ; the colour gradually deepens, becoming 

 yellower with a greenish tinge. On the fifth day the crown of 

 the egg assumes a dull grey, finally changing to a lilac-grey." 



The female butterfly, when placed in the sunshine, laid about 

 a hundred eggs during the day — August 7. These were mostly 

 placed singly on the leaves or other parts of a plant of heart's- 

 ease {Viola tricolor), but some were laid on the gauze cover of 

 the cage. All the caterpillars hatched out on August 14. 



The caterpillar when full grown is velvety black, densely 

 sprinkled with tiny white dots, each bearing a black bristle ; 

 there are six rows of spines, which are of various shades of 

 brown with yellowish bases and shining black bristles ; along 

 the back there are two white streaks on the fore part of each 

 ring, and white warts emitting black bristles on the hind part. 

 The head is amber-coloured above, but black below, and is 

 covered with bristles like the body. 



The chrysalis has the head, thorax, and wing-cases shining 

 olive-brown ; the body chequered and speckled with olive- 

 brown, ochreous, black, and white. The spiracles are black and 

 conspicuous, and the points on the body are amber-coloured. 

 The thorax and first two body rings have brilliant burnished 

 silver-gilt ornamentation. 



The butterflies commenced to emerge on September 25, 

 and between that date and the 28th ten came out. Although 

 he succeeded in rearing almost all the caterpillars to the 

 chrysalis, no less than eighty died in this stage, and he states 

 that " there is no doubt that the late autumn English climate is 



