FIELD THISTLE. 95 



under-surface is ashy-grey, lined and mottled with various 

 delicate tints. This fine butterfly may be looked for at the 

 end of July, and during August and September. It then 

 hybernates, sheltered from the winter cold in the deep re- 

 cesses of some barn or other cover, and reappears when the 

 bright spring days come round. During the month of 

 July the creature is in the chrysalis stage, and may be 

 found suspended from the food-plants of the caterpillar. 

 We have wandei'ed thus far into somewhat of a digression 

 because we have often seen this beautiful butterfly sunning 

 itself with outstretched wings on the thistle-heads, and our 

 readers may very probably see it as well, and will be glad to 

 know something of its life history. 



The field thistle is one of the taller species, from three 

 to four feet high being a fair average. The stem branches 

 freely, but as a whole preserves its erect character, as the 

 lateral shoots do not diverge far. The leaves are narrow, 

 cut up into numerous lobes, and very prickly. The stem 

 is thickly clothed with those portions of the leaf that run 

 for some distance down it, a kind of leaf-growth that is 

 botanically termed decurrent. It is a very marked feature 

 amongst the thistles, and we may see it again in the 

 comfrey, and some other plants. The flower-heads are not 

 very large, the ball-like mass from which they spring is 

 thickly clothed with numerous and narrow spines, and the 

 heads are often somewhat drooping. Like all the thistles, 

 the flower may sometimes be found white instead of 

 crimson. 



Two distinct varieties of this thistle may be found : in 

 one the flower-buds are somewhat larger than those we 

 have figured, and they stand singly on long stalks, while the 

 leaves are narrow, and almost free from woolliness or hairy 



