Beautiful Butter/lies. 89 



COMMA BUTTERFLY, 



PLATE V. — FIG. I. 



APILIO, or Vanessa C-album. This curious 

 Butterfly is distinguished from all other 

 British species, by the deeply cut or indented 

 outline of the wings ; which, forming the kind of curve 

 presented by the stop called a comma, gave occasion for 

 the name by which it is commonly known. Naturalists 

 we find term it C-album, the latter term meaning 

 white; because there is marked on the under side of 

 each of the lower wings a letter C in white, as distinctly 

 on some individuals as though it had been painted in. 

 This is a very singular distinctive mark, the like of 

 which is to be found, I believe, on no other member of 

 the Butterfly tribe. 



The Comma is the smallest species of the Vanessa 

 genus which inhabits Britain, the utmost extent of the 

 wings seldom exceeding two inches ; in colour it closely 

 resembles the Tortoise-shell Fly, being reddish brown 

 and black ; there is, however, less variety in the shades 

 and markings. The under sides of the wings are in 

 some instances elegantly variegated with brown and 

 grey of various shades, and metallic green ; in others 



