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GENUS I. BUTTERFLIES. 



S E C. I. S P. V. COM M A, 

 PL 5. 



C. Album. Linnœus. 

 Comma. Harris. 



A few of this fpecies of butterfly, if the winter have proved mild, live in the 

 winged Hate till the fpring, and appear in April much wafted in colour, with their 

 wings broken on the edges. Others remain in chryfalis till that time, and may 

 be eafily diftinguifhed by their perfect fhape, and the brightnefs of their colour. 

 Thefe lay their eggs on the tender parts of the hop or nettle, and from them the 

 caterpillars are produced about the middle of May. The eggs are laid on many 

 different plants by the female, as (he rarely lays more than one or two on a plant. 

 The young caterpillars fecrete themfelves under the leaves, feeding on the edge, 

 or eating through from the back of the leaf. They change their fldns feveral 

 times, and are at their full growth the latter end of July, fig. 1. They 

 fufpend themfelves by the tail to the branches, or under part of the leaves, of the 

 hop, or nettle, by a fine, but ftrong, web. In a day's time they change to chry- 

 falides, fig. 1 ; in which ftate they remain near twenty days, and then 

 the butterfly crawls forth to dry and expand its wings. The male is of a 

 rich orange colour, fig. 3. The female is paler, and rather larger: 

 fig. 4, and the under fide, fig. 5, This butterfly is named the Comma, 

 from a white mark on the under fide of the under wing, refembling that 

 ftop in printing. It is an infect fwift in flight, and difficult to take, except when 

 feeding. It flies in lanes, by the fides of banks, or hedges, frequently fettling on 

 dry places, and againfl the bodies of trees. 



