11 



and it is interesting as shewing the nice and beautiful gradations which nature 

 makes between one insect and another, borrowing as it were certain characters 

 respectively from each of these nearly allied species, in order to make up a third, 

 distinct from either ; thus ringing the changes as it were with colour, markings, &c. 

 beautifully illustrating the Linnsean aphorism, " Natura non facit saltus." This 

 species is the Vanessa Vulcania, and has been figured both by Cramer and Herbst 

 as a variety of V. Atalanta. 



Specimens regarded as specifically identical with our European ones have been 

 found in the northern parts of Africa, as well as in North America. It is the 

 opinion of some authors, however, that these last belong to a distinct species. Mr. 

 Kirby nevertheless in his Fauna Boreali- Americana gives them as V. Atalanta 

 without any expression of doubt. 



BOTYS URTICATA. THE SMALL MAGPIE MOTH. 



Plate VI. fig. I— p. 



Synonyms. Phaleena (Geometra) Urticata, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. 873. Donovan Brit. Ins. 60. pi. 349. 

 f. 2. Albin's Ins. pi. 37. fig. 60. i—m. 

 Scopula Urticata, Curtis. 

 Eurrhypara Urticata, Hubner, Steph. Illustr. Haust. 



Upper Side. The head, thorax, and abdomen are yellow, as is that part of the superior 

 wings near the shoulders ; all the wings are white, handsomely spotted with black. 



The caterpillars are green, and somewhat transparent, having a dark line the length of the 

 back. They feed spun up in a leaf of a nettle, like the Admirable at (a), wherein they remain 

 till the cold weather approaches, when they begin to change their colour to a red, as at (m) ; they 

 then spin themselves up, each in a buff-coloured case, through which the caterpillar may be seen, 

 as figured at (n) : when they have lain about a month they change again to a yellow, and in 

 May following put on the form of the chrysalis, which is red and shining : the moths appear about 

 the beginning of June. They conceal themselves among the nettles, settling on the under side of 

 the leaves, with their wings spread flat. 



Expansion of the wings one inch and a quarter. 



This is a very common species, frequenting hedges and damp places in the 

 neighbourhood of nettles. 



METOPSILUS ELPENOR. THE ELEPHANT HAWK MOTH. 



Plate VII. fig. a~h. 



ynonyms. Sphinx Elpenor, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. 801. Donovan Brit. Ins. 4. pi. 122. Albiris Ins. 

 pi. 9. Wilkes Eng. Moths, pi. 26. Samouelle's Compend. pi. 6. f. 2. 

 Deilephila Elpenor, Ochsenheimer, Curtis, Stephens. 

 Eumorphee (Oreus) Elpenor, Hubner, Verzeichn. beh. Schm. Coit. 365. 

 Metopsilus Elpenor, l)uncan Brit. Moths, pi. 11. fig. 1 . 



Upper Side. The antennge and palpi are rose-coloured. Thorax olive, striped with rose 

 colour. The superior wings are of a beautiful yellow-olive, having some bars of rose colour 

 crossing them. The inferior wings are rose-coloured; but towards the thorax black. The 

 abdomen is olive, having a stripe of rose colour down the back part. 



