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GENUS I. BUTTERFLIES. 



SEC. I. SP. VI. SCARLET ADMIRABLE. 



PI. 7. 



Atalanta. Linnœus. 

 Scarlet Admirable. Harris. 



The latter end of May a few of thefe butterflies make their appearance on the 

 wing. In June the female lays her eggs ; depofiting them fingly on different 

 parts of the large nettle. As foon as the caterpillar comes from the egg, he 

 inclofes himfelf in a leaf of the nettle, by drawing the edges together with a 

 fine filken thread, to protect him from the injuries of the weather, and alfo from 

 the Ichneumon fly ; which by injecting it's eggs into the caterpillar, prevents 

 his coming to perfection, and muft grievoufly torment the living animal, as 

 the larva: of the Ichneumon feed in him. Whilft thus inclofed in the leaf, he 

 feeds on the tender part of it ; and when he has deftroyed as much of the leaf 

 as to render it no longer a place of fafety, he fhifts his fkin, forfakes his ruined 

 habitation, travels to another leaf, and webs that together as before. In this 

 manner he proceeds till grown fo large, that one leaf will not cover and feed 

 him. He then creeps to the top of the nettle, where he webs himfelf up within 

 the leaves, and feeds as before defcribed. The caterpillars are full grown the 

 end of July, as in fig. 1 ; when they faften themfelves up by the tail, within 

 their webs, under the nettle tops, and change to chryfalides : fee fig. 2. 

 Sometimes they may be found hanging under the leaf, or any other convenient 

 place. Why they change thus expofcd, in contradiction to their habit of con- 

 cealing themfelves, as well in this ftate as that of the caterpillar, is what cannot 

 be eafily accounted for. The reafon that appears moft likely to me is, that the 

 earwigs and ants get into their inclofures, and oblige them to retire, when they 

 are near the time of their transformation, and they are too weak to make a frelh 

 fpinning. They lie in the chryfalis ftate near twenty days, when the butterfly 

 comes forth. — What a change! from a crawling caterpillar on the earth, to the 

 elegant and beautiful butterfly, {porting in the air, and feeding on the honey 

 juice of every fragrant flower. The upper fide of this infect is fig. 3 ; and the 

 under parts, with the wings clofed, fig. 4. 



