IO.J. THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



less suffused with black. On the under side the fore wings are 

 fulvous, with faint traces of the upper-side markings ; the hind 

 wings are rather redder, especially on the outer half, and have 

 yellowish markings, comprising some spots towards the base 

 of the wings, a band beyond the middle, a series of black 

 centred spots, and crescents on the outer margin. The above 

 applies more particularly to the form of the butterfly occurring 

 in England and Wales. 



The Irish form known as prceclara has the transverse band 

 straw-coloured, the red colour is more vivid, and the black 

 veins and cross-lines heavier ; the area nearest the base of the 

 wings is often blacker. 



In a form occurring in Scotland, and known as var. scotica, 

 the black is still more intense, and the straw-coloured markings 

 are dull in colour. 



The egg is pale brownish and very glossy. It appears smooth 

 towards the rounded base, but is ribbed from just before the 

 middle to the top. The eggs are laid in batches on leaves of 

 scabious, chiefly the Devil's bit (Scabiosa succisd). 



The full-grown caterpillar is black, with a number of tiny 

 whitish dots, each bearing a short black hair ; short black spines 

 are arranged in nine rows from ring four, the first ring is only 

 hairy, the second and third have each two spines. The head 

 is black, with a groove down the front and short hairs on the 

 sides. The true legs are black, and the false legs and the 

 under parts of the body are dull rust-coloured. The caterpillars 

 hatch from the egg in June or July, and towards the end of 

 August they construct silken webs, in which they establish 

 themselves for hibernation. Early in March they recommence 

 feeding, and under the influence of much sunshine feed up 

 quickly. Besides wild scabious, they will eat honeysuckle and 

 the garden kinds of Scabiosa. The chrysalis is pale buff, with 

 orange points on the body ; the wing-cases are marked with 

 black and orange. The chrysalids are suspended from a silken 



