202 THE BUTTERFLY VIVARIUM. 



These last I must pause to consider for a mo- 

 ment, but in this place space will not allow of 

 many details, though they are among the gems of a 

 collection of British Lepidoptera. First comes the 

 " Clifton Nonpareil," or Lilac Underwing, Cato- 

 calus Fraxini, four inches across the wings; the 

 capture of which, by Mr. S. Stephens, in his garden 

 at Hammersmith, I well recollect his describing to 

 me. It was taken sitting at rest on the bark of an 

 apple-tree which had been sugared by way of bait, 

 a means by which many rare Moths may be taken. 

 Then there is the Common Red Underwing, also a 

 fine large insect, three inches and a half across the 

 extended anterior wings, the under-wings being of a 

 rich warm crimson, barred with black; and Catocala 

 Sponsa, with the under-wings rather deeper and less 

 bright in colour. The two somewhat smaller spe- 

 cies, C. Fromissa and C. Conjuncta, are perhaps 

 still richer in colour, and more strikingly marked 

 on the ashy fore-wings than the larger kinds. They 

 are, at all events, notwithstanding their inferior 

 size, well worth rearing in the Vivarium. The Ca- 

 terpillars of the commoner kinds, which are much 

 flattened on the under side, and have the edge 

 fringed with a fine line of hairs, or cilise, are easily 

 procured; but that of Fraxini, unless imported, 



