THE BUTTERFLY VIVARIUM. 25 



dusky greyish olive. Indeed, in a variety which 

 is not extremely rare, the female is almost entirely 

 of a singular clouded tone, like orange seen through 

 a grey veil. This disparity of colouring in male and 

 female insects will form a very interesting subject 

 for discussion in its proper place, the differences 

 being in many instances very striking, especially 

 among the tribe of the pretty little blue Butterflies 

 of our chalk districts, one of Avhich is represented 

 in the Vivarium a little below the Clouded Yellow. 

 The specimen there introduced is a male, the wings 

 of the female being clothed in dark sober brown, 

 instead of the brilliant azure of her gayer mate. 

 Immediately beneath the little blue Butterfly may 

 be seen a colony of the sable larvae of Vanessa Io, 

 the well-known Peacock Butterfly. They are feeding 

 on a few heads of the common stinging Nettle, 

 which have been placed in one of the concealed 

 bottles for that purpose. Two of their chrysalides 

 are shown suspended to neighbouring plants, by 

 a process to be hereafter described. Erom these 

 chrysalides the perfect insect is destined to emerge, 

 and to form, for a short time, one of the chief glories 

 of the Vivarium. 



At the front edge of the water, and near the 

 centre, I have placed a specimen of the magnificent 



