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GENUS I. BUTTERFLIES, 



SEC. I. SP. X. • VIOLET SILVER SPOTTED FRITILLARY. 



PL 10. 



Adippe. Linnaus; 



High brown Fritillary. Harris. 



Thefe elegant butterflies make their firft appearance on the wing the latter 

 end of June, moftly in lanes near woods in dry fituations ; and are eafily caught 

 when feeding on the bramble or thiftle bloflbms: but as the' fun advances to- 

 wards the middle of the day, they are reftlefs, fporting and flying about with 

 great fwiftnefs, at which time are very difficult to take. The female lays her 

 eggs in July, on the violets that grow under the fhelter of brambles, or fome 

 fimilar cover, on dry banks, or hilly places. The caterpillars are produced in 

 about twelve days, and feed till September ; when they fpin a fine web at 

 the root of their food, clofe to the ground ; and under this cover they pafs the 

 winter in a torpid ftate. In February or March, according to the mildnefs of the 

 fpring, they begin to feed again : at this time they are but fmall, of a dull 

 black colour, and thick fet with fhort blunt fpines, finely haired. As 

 the fpring advances they increafe in fize, and in May are full fed, as at fig. t. 

 The beginning of June they prepare for their transformation, by fufpendino- 

 themfelves by the tail, and in a few hours the chryfalis appears, as at fig. 2. In 

 this ftate they remain for three weeks; when the firft fine morning brings them 

 out to dry and expand their wings, ready for flight, as at fig. 3. The under win» 

 is elegantly marked on the under fide, with fpots like polifhed filver : fee fi°-. 4, 

 The female differs but little from the male. 



