83 



It was scarce in 1880, 1881, 1883, 1883, and 1884. The winters of 

 1880 and 1881 were very severe. 



In 1885, a year with a fine late summer, it was fairly common, but very 

 scarce again in 1886. 



COLIAS HYALE. 



Pale Clouded Yellow, 



Hyale, Linn. Hyale, a nymph in the train of Diana. Ovid, Met. III. 

 470. 



The wings of this interesting butterfly are of a primrose yellow, and are 

 from two inches, to nearly two inches and a quarter in expanse. 



The sexes are nearly alike in their markings, the chief difference being in 

 the paler ground tint of the females. 



There is some risk to beginners of confounding this species with the white 

 variety of Edusa named Helice, so it may be as well to point out the principal 

 distinction between the two. The dark border of the upper wings of Edusa, 

 is of nearly equal breadth along the whole of the outer margin, and at the 

 lower corner is continued inwards for a short distance ; whilst in Hyale this 

 border narrows rapidly, and disappears before reaching the lower corner of 

 the wing. The dark border of the hind- wings also is much broader in Edusa, 

 than in Hyale. 



Yar. b. differs from the type in the ground tint of the wings being almost 

 white. It is admirably figured in Lewin's " British Insects " and is the var. 

 pallida of Eobson and Gardner's list. 



Var. c. has the fore-wings suffused with black scales as far as the discordial 

 spot. 



There are also other varieties : one has only a few black marks at the tip 

 of the forewings ; another has the border so broad that, but for the want of 

 it on the hind-wings, it might do duty for Helice. One variety has been 

 named Sareptensis by Dr. Staudinger. It has the hind margin of the fore- 

 wings broadly black, and occurs on the southern Steppes of Russia. 



The egg is apparently smooth, but really ribbed and of a pale canary-yellow, 

 reminding one of a canary seed in miniature. — Buckler. 



The caterpillar is of a dull green colour, with a white or yellow spiracular 

 line, and the whole skin covered closely with short black spines or bristles. 

 It feeds on Trifolium repens and Medicago lupulina, Lucern, &c, in August 

 and also in October. In repose, it lies along the middle of the leafs superior 

 surface, so that at night when the leaf closes, as most, if not all, of the Tri- 

 folium tribe do, it is quite enclosed by its segments. 



