HNHBHHH 



13 



dark brown ; the two latter beautifully crested with tufts of hair. The wings are also brown, 

 shaded with a very dark brown. 



The caterpillar seen at (a) is of a clear white, covered with round black spots and some 

 stripes, and in some parts tinged with yellow. It feeds on water betony and mullein ; goes into 

 the earth about the beginning of June, where it changes to the chrysalis in an earthen case 

 represented at (b), and the moth appears about the middle of April. The chrysalis is of an 

 orange brown, as shewn at (c), having a remarkable protuberance about the middle part. The 

 moth is seen flying at (d), and in a sitting posture at (e). It is remarkable that these caterpillars, 

 most commonly eat their own skin after they have thrown it off; and should they be so far neg- 

 lected, as to want food, they will devour each other. 



Expansion of the wings If inches. 



VANESSA 10. THE PEACOCK BUTTERFLY. 



Plate VIII. fig./— h. 



Synonyms. PapiHo (Nymph. Gemm.) Io, Linn. Syst. Nut. ii. p. 769. Lewin Pupil, pi. 4. Donov. 

 Brit. Ins. vol. 6. pi. 206. 

 Vanessa Io, Ochsenheimer, Leach, Curtis, Stephens. Buncun Brit. Butt. pi. 18. f. 1. 

 The Peacock's Eye, Albin's Ins. pi. 4. £. 5. 

 The Peacock Butterfly, Wilkes Eng. Moths und Butt. pi. 106. 



Upper Side, The head, thorax, and ahdomen are of a deep red brown, covered with rather 

 long hairs. The superior wings are of a strong dark red, having an eye-like spot near the apex, 

 about the size of a silver penny, or the nail of the fore finger : this is formed by a triangular black 

 spot on one side, and a dark olive- coloured border on the other ; the pupil or centre is dark red, 

 surrounded with an iris of blue and yellow. The inferior wings, near the thorax, are of a dark 

 brown, sprinkled with yellow specks, the middle part only being red : here is also an eye-like 

 spot, near the outer corner, about the same size as the other, which is blue in the centre, and 

 surrounded with black. 



The caterpillar, as at (g), is of a fine deep black, thickly beset with sharp spines : it is also 

 finely powdered with minute white specks ; the hind legs are of a tawny brown, the others are 

 black. It feeds on nettles, and changes into the chrysalis the beginning of July 5 and the fly 

 appears in three weeks after. The chrysalis is shown at (h). 



The under side of the fly is almost black. 



Expansion of the wings 2 \ — 3 inches. 



This splendid butterfly, which were it but rare, would be as highly prized as 

 any of our native species, is one of those which survive the winter and again 

 appear in the early sunny days of the following spring. Mr. Bree records the cap- 

 ture of a specimen on the wing on the 5th of January, (Mag. Nat. Mist. Vol. 6. 

 p. 176). Mr. Dale mentions having seen it at Christmas, in cutting down an old 

 pollard hollow tree, and having also seen it flying at the end of January, (Ibid, 

 p. 379). It is much more abundant in the southern than in the northern parts of the 

 country. A remarkable variety is described in the Magazine of Natural History, 

 No. 12, in which the eyes on the hind wings are obliterated. 





