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GENUS I. BUTTERFLIES. 

 SEC. I. SP. II. ELM TORTOISESHELL. 



PI. 2. 



Polychloros. Linnaus Syft. 

 Great Tortoifefhell. Wilks. 



The caterpillars of this fly feed on the leaves of elm trees, that grow on the 

 fides of lanes in fheltered fltuations. They are very focial, feeding together, 

 and not feparating till near the time of transformation; when they go in queft 

 of a place to fecure themfelves when in chryfalis. About the middle of June 

 they are full fed, fig. i. They then fix themfelves by the tail, with a 

 glutinous web from the mouth ; and after a few hours the fkin cracks at the 

 back, towards the head, and the chryfalis appears of a pale green colour, but 

 foon after changes to a brown, fig. i. In about twenty days the fly 

 comes forth. The wings at firft are clofely folded, and very moift; in a 

 fhort time, by the motion of the infect, and the action of the air, they begin 

 to unfold ; and by degrees they expand to the full fize. In the fpace of two 

 hours they are perfectly dry, and the butterfly appears in all its beauty 

 fig. 3. They delight to fettle on dry path ways, as alfo on the trunks of 

 trees, to fun themfelves. They fly fwift, and are not eafily taken, except in 

 the morning, when they are feeding on the bloffoms of différent plants, near the 

 place where they are bred. Some few of the late bred flies fecrete themfelves in 

 the hollows of trees, or fuch places as will protect them from the fèverity of the 

 weather, and live through the winter ; others remain in chryfalis all the winter, 

 appear on the wing in March, and lay their eggs on the branches of elm trees, 

 to which they fix them by a glutinous moifture. It is from thefe we have the 

 fummer's flock. 



The male is not fo large as the female, but in colour and marks they per- 

 fectly agree. The under fide is reprefented in fig. 4. 



