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71 



having but little appearance of blue. The inferior wings have a handsome border, composed of 

 seven eye-like spots, of a red colour, having a black spot in the centre of each. 



The under side of the wings are handsomely bordered with the same eye-like spots ; the 

 other parts of the wings are of an ash colour, besprinkled all over with small eye-like spots or 

 circles. They are seen in plenty about the beginning of June. 



Expansion of the wings 1 — l x - 2 inches. 



This elegant little butterfly is one of the commonest English insects, frequenting 

 fields and heaths, marshes and grassy lanes, throughout the country. Its caterpillar, 

 which greatly resembles a wood-louse, is slightly hairy, of a bright green colour, with 

 a dark dorsal line and triangular yellow adjacent spots. It feeds on grasses, Astra- 

 galus glycyphyllus, and Fragaria vesca. The chrysalis, which is short and thick, 

 and girt round the middle of the body, is dark brown. The perfect insect is ex- 

 tremely active, and very pugnacious ; when fully animated it will not suffer any of 

 its tribe to cross its path, or approach the flower on which it sits, with impunity, and 

 will even drive away the large red Admiral (Vanessa Atalanta). Between it and the 

 little copper butterfly (Lycsena Phlseas) a constant warfare is maintained, and nothing 

 can be more pleasing than the contrast of colours exhibited by the two combatants. 

 Its pugnacious disposition soon however deprives it of much of its beauty, and its 

 wings soon become torn and jagged, and its fine plumage rubbed off. (Journal of a 

 Naturalist, p. 277.) 



HERACLIA DOMINULA. THE SCARLET TIGER MOTH. 



Plate XL. fig. a— e. 



Synonyms. Phalama (Noct.) Dominula, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. 834. Donovan Brit. Ins. 4. pi. 141. 

 Alton's Ins. pi. 22. fig. 31. a-d. Wilkes' Eng. Moths, pi. 38. 

 Hypercampa Dominula, Curtis, Stephens. Duncan Brit. Moths, pi. 19. fig, 3. & 4. 



(variety.) 

 Heraclia Dominula, Hubner. Stephens III, H. vol. 4. App. p. 386. 



Upper Side. The antenna* are like threads. The head and thorax are of a deep green, 

 having two long yellow spots on the upper side of the latter. The abdomen is scarlet, having a 

 neat black or dark green stripe along the upper part. The superior wings are of a dark green 

 having eight or nine spots of a cream colour ; two or three of which nearest the thorax are tinged 

 with orange. The inferior wings are scarlet, having about five irregular spots of black; the 

 largest of which is near the outer corner. The moth is figured at ( e ), which is a female. The 

 male hath a ring or circle round the abdomen, near the anus. ,*-„,,,,■,, 



The caterpillar feeds on nettles and houndstongue, and is found full fed the latter end of 

 April, when it appears as at (a). It changes the middle of May, in a spinning, on the ground I ; 

 and the moth appears in June. The figure of the chrysalis is seen at (6), of a very dark red. 

 The eggs are of a deep gold colour, and adhere to the places where laid. 



Expansion of the wings two inches. 



The late Captain Blomer mentions having once observed a number of the males 

 of this insect flying abont at 12 o'clock on a bright sunny day, and that he captured 



■MOM 



