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GENUS I. BUTTERFLIES. 



SEC. I. SP. XVII. MARSH FRITILLARV. 



PI. 15. 



Artemis. Fabricius. 

 Greafy Fritillary. Harris. 



This infecl: is out on the wing the middle of May, fee fig. 3, for the figure of the male, 

 and fio-. 4, for the under parts. The caterpillars may be found in abundance in the month 

 of September, of a tolerable fize. They are very fociable, keeping together under cover 

 of a fine web, which they fpin to defend themfelves from the inclemency of the weather: 

 and under the protection of this web they pafs the winter months, without food, till the 

 warmth of the fun in the fpring brings them out to feed again. As they increafe in fize 

 they feparate, and fpread abroad in fearch of food. The local attachment to a place is 

 remarkable in this infect ; for neither the fly nor the caterpillar will ftray from the place 

 where it was bred. 1 have feen numbers of this fpeces of butterfly on the wing in a fmall fpot 

 of fvvampy marfh land, and could not find one in the meadows adjoining. They fly low, 

 and frequently fettle, fo that they may be caught in plenty. The caterpillars are at their 

 full growth, as at fig. 1, the laft week in April, and fufpend themfelves by the tail to change 

 to chryfalis, fee fig. 2. In this ftate they remain about fourteen days. 



This caterpillar is faid to feed on the wild fcabious only : but I always found it to 

 be a general feeder on the different grafles that grow in marines. The method I ufed to 

 feed this and other caterpillars, that feed on the furface of the earth, was to cut a turf from 

 the ground where I found them ; and on this they fed as readily as in the ftate of nature» 



SP. XVIII. SMALL FRITILLARY. 



Lucina. Linnaus. 



Duke of Burgundy Fritillary. Harris.. 



This fmall (pedes of butterfly is common to moft of the woods in England. The moft 

 plentiful time of its flight is about the middle of May, when it may be readily taken in 

 the morning, as it frequently fettles on the buflies near the place where it was bred. We 

 are not well acquainted with the natural hiftory of the caterpillar. Wilks once met with 

 a number of them, the tenth of April, on the ground; but could not find the proper food 

 for them, as they did not feed with him. On the eighteenth of April ten of thefe cater- 

 pillars fattened themfelves by the tail, in order to change to chryfalis ; and on the third of 

 Alay following the flies were bred. 



This is the only account we have of this fpecies ; from which it is not to be doubted, 

 hut the caterpillars live in fociety through the winter, and feed in the fpring, moft pro- 

 bably on grafs, 



