( 3* ) 



GENUS I. BUTTERFLIES. 



SEC. I. SP. XV. PLANTAIN FRITILLARY. 



PL 14. 



Cinxia. Linnœus. 

 Glanvilla Fritillary. Harris. 



The male of this butterfly is reprefented flying at fig. 3 : the female is rather larger, but 

 in colour and markings is nearly the fame; the under fide is feen at fig. 4. Thefe butterflies 

 on the wing about the latter end of May. The female lays her eggs moftly on the long 

 plantain, to which they adhere by a glutinous moifture, and the young caterpillars appear 

 in fourteen days after. They keep together till the approach of winter, when they fpin 

 a fine thin compact web, clofe to the ground, to proted; themfelves from wet and cold. 

 Under this they remain fociably together, till the warmth of the fun in the fpring brings 

 them out in quell of nutriment. They are very tender in their nature, and fcarcely 

 move, or feed, but when the fun fliines on them. As they increafe in fize, and the 

 fpring advances, they feparate, and go in fearch of food fingly. They feed not only on 

 plantain, but likewife on clover, and common grafs. They are very timorous, for on 

 the leaft motion of the food or plant they are on, they drop to the ground, and there 

 remain curled up head to tail, till they think the danger is paft. They are moftly at their 

 full growth, as at fig. I, the laft week in April; and remain in chryfalis from fourteen 

 to twenty days, as at fig. 2. This is not a very common butterfly, but may be met with 

 in meadows, and fields of grafs, in June. 



SP. XVI. HEATH FRITILLARY. 



Diclynna. Fabricius. 



Pearl Border Likenefs Fritillary. Harris. 



This butterfly is not unlike the above defcribed on the upper fide, fee fio-. r ; but the 

 under parts clearly diftinguifh them as different fpecies ; fee fig. 6. It may be taken in 

 June, flying in the open parts of woods, and dry places, near which heath grows. In 

 fome fummers it is tolerably plenty, and in others fcarcely to be met with ; juft as the 

 winter has proved more or lefs favourable to the caterpillars. 



As I have not feen the caterpillar, I fhall add the following defcription of it from 

 Wilks's work on infects. " I found the caterpillar of this fly feeding on common heath, 

 in Tottenham wood, about the middle of May 1745. They are of the fame fearful 

 nature as the plantain fritillary. Six or feven of them were feeding near each other. I 

 obferved their manner of eating, which was extremely quick ; and when thev moved it 

 was at a great rate. I fed them with common heath for three or four days, at the end of 

 which fome of them changed to chryfalis, in which ftatc they remained about fourteen 

 days, and then the flies came forth." 



