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GENUS I. BUTTERFLIES. 



SEC. III. SP. XXL MEADOW BROWN ARGUS. 

 PI. 1 8. 



Janira. Male. | 



T . T- i (Linn ans. 



J urtina. Female. J 



Meadow Brown. Harris. 



This is a very common fly with us, and is to be feen in every meadow 

 during the fummer months, yet the caterpillar is but rarely met with. The 

 male butterfly I have delineated at fig. 3, the female at fig. 4, the under parts 

 at fig. 5. The fly makes its firft. appearance on the wing the firft week 

 in June, at the end of which month the female lays her eggs, not fixing them 

 to any particular plant, but dropping them here and there on the earth. In a 

 fhort time the caterpillars are bred, and feed on the different greffes, that grow 

 in the meadows. They conceal themfelves at the bottom of the grafs when 

 young, and there feed : as they advance in fize, they venture out in the even- 

 ing, and feed more generally. I have no doubt but this cautious manner of 

 feeding is their great protection from their enemies the ichneumon fly and 

 birds. This will in fome meafure account for the fmooth caterpillars, and thofe 

 with little hair on them, being fo feldom feen, as they moftly conceal themfelves 

 in the day time. Some of the caterpillars of this fly, which have grown faff, 

 and were produced from eggs laid early in the feafon, change to chryfalis at the 

 end of the fummer, and will fometimes appear on the wing in the autumn : 

 others hang through the winter in chryfalis, as at fig. 2, till June : and fome of 

 the caterpillars live through the winter, and change to chryfalis in May. 



I have reprefented the caterpillar ready for its transformation at fig. 1. It 

 prepares for this change by fixing itfelf by the tail, and in a few hours after the 

 chryfalis appears. In about fourteen days after this the fly makes its appear- 

 ance in all its fplendour. 



