( io ) 



GENUS I. BUTTERFLIES. 



SEC. I. S P. III. NETTLE T ORTO I S E SHELL. 



PL 3. 



Urficas. Linnaus. 



Small Tortoifefhell. Harris. 



The flies which produce the fummer's ftock of this infect, come from the 

 chryfalides in March, and April, as the feafon proves more or lefs favourable 

 for them. The female lays her eggs on the ftalks of the large nettle, near the 

 top, to which they adhere by a glutinous moifture. About the middle of May, 

 the young caterpillars may be feen, of a light colour, on the nettle tops, enclofed 

 in a web, in which they herd together. When they fhift their firft fkin, they 

 remove to a frefh place, leaving their old fkin hanging to the web ; and again 

 form a colony at a diftance from their former habitation. In the third fkin they 

 make another remove, ftill keeping together in a web. In the fourth fkin they 

 are black, and feparate in companies ; as they are grown too large to live in one 

 fociety. In this manner they feed, in the fourth and fifth (kins. In the fixth 

 and laft fkin they feparate, and devour the nettles, fo as to leave nothing but 

 the ftalk and fibres : in this fkin they are yellowifli on the back, fee fig. 1 . 

 The beginning of June they are full fed; and then they fallen their tails by a 

 web under the nettle leaves, or to the ftalks, and change to chryfalides. 

 In a day's time the chryfalides appear pale green at firft, but in a fhort time they 

 change, fome of them to the colour of burnifhed gold; others, which you would 

 fcarce believe to be from the fame caterpillars, of a dirty brown : but in general 

 they appear as in fig. 2. In this ftate they remain near twenty days; and then 

 the butterflies are produced: fee the upper fide, fig. 3, and under part, 

 fig. 4. The female is larger than the male, and paler in colour. They 

 ipread abroad in fearch of food, and fettle on the bloflbms of the thiftle, the 

 dock, and the teazle. This is the moft common of the Englifti butterflies; and 

 fume few of the fécond brood live through the winter. 



