6 BUTTERFLIES 



nettle leaves, are black in colour, sprinkled with 

 little white dots, and are quite as thorny as those 

 of the two tortoiseshells. Look for them in June 

 and July. The chrysalids are green, with their 

 heads and bodies rather brighter than their tails, 

 and with a number of gold spots. 



PLATE III 



THE RED ADMIRAL (3) 



I really think that this is the very handsomest 

 of all our British butterflies; for its wings are 

 of the glossiest possible black above, with spots 

 of the purest possible white, and streaks of the 

 brightest possible scarlet. And on their lower 

 surface so many different tints of grey and pink 

 and brown and red are mingled together that 

 I cannot possibly describe them. All that I can 

 do is to advise you to try to catch one of these 

 butterflies and look at it for yourself; and if 

 you do, I am quite sure that you will say that you 

 have never seen a more beautiful insect. 



Red Admiral butterflies are nearly always very 

 common from August till October, and again in 

 April and May, and are quite as fond of ivy bloom 

 and the juices of ripe fruits as peacocks. On 

 almost any warm sunny day you may see them 

 flying about in gardens, or on the borders of 

 woods. Their thorny caterpillars, which are 



