76 • Beautiful Butterflies. 



LARGE TORTOISE-SHELL. 



PLATE III. — FIG. I. 



IAPILIO, or Vanessa Polychloros. The Tor- 

 toise-shell Butterfly is one of the commonest 

 of our native species, but the Great Tortoise- 

 shell, or Elm Butterfly, as it is sometimes called, must 

 not be confounded with this ; it is larger, handsomer, 

 and also very much rarer ; in the colours and markings 

 of the two species there is not a great deal of differ- 

 ence ; neither is there in the shape of their wings ; the 

 smaller is perhaps the more graceful of the two ; the 

 larger the more bold and noble — more rounded and full, 

 and sturdy, so to speak, as though one were the per- 

 sonification — bless us, that is a long word — well, then, 

 the figure, the showing forth of manly beauty, and the 

 other of womanly loveliness. If we saw the two flying 

 together, we might take them to be brother and sister, 

 so great is the family likeness, and yet they are quite 

 different species, although belonging to the same genus ; 

 and a naturalist would never take one for the other, 

 however closely they might approach in size, as they 

 sometimes do. Oh, these are sharp fellows, these 

 naturalists ; we sometimes fancy that they have micro- 



