THE YOUNG 



NATUEA.LIST. 



397 



59. NISSONIADES TAGES. 



The Dingy Skipper. — A common but- 

 terfly except in the North of Scotland. 

 It frequent railway banks, dry hill sides, 

 and places where the food plant, Birdsfoot 

 Trefoil grows, on which the larva feeds. 

 The butterfly is on the wing in May and 

 June, and is sometimes double brooded. 

 There seems some doubt as to how it passes 

 the winter, perhaps Mr. Gregson will en- 

 lighten us. 



60. PAMPHILA PANISCUS. 

 The Chequered Skipper. A very local 



butterfly. Only seven counties are named 

 in which it occurs in England. It is not 

 known in either Ireland or Scotland. It 

 appears to frequent woods, but the larva is 

 said to feed on the broad -leaved plantain, 

 which is more of a wayside plant, The but- 

 terfly is on the wing in June, but when 

 the larva is found appears more doubtful 

 and we are not sure how it passes the 

 winter. 



61. PAMPHILA ACTiEON. 



The Lulworth Skipper. — Formerly only 

 known as occurring at Lulworth Cave, in 

 Dorsetshire.but now taken also in Devonshire 

 and Warwickshire. It flies in July and 

 August, and the larva probably hybernates. 

 It feeds on the Wood Small Reed, but does 

 not appear to conceal itself until ready to 

 change to pupa. 



62. PAMPHILA LINEA. 

 The Small Skipper.— This little butter- 

 fly appears to be generally distributed in 

 the South of England and in the Midlands, 

 but does not reach the most northerly 

 counties, nor Scotland ; though it is found 

 in many parts of Ireland. It appears 

 on the wing in July, and the larva hyber- 

 nates to feed up in the spring. The food 

 is grass. 



63. PAMPHILA SYLVANUS. 

 The Orange Skipper.— The commonest 

 butterfly of the genus, and found in all parts 



of Britain. It frequents open places in 

 woods, &c., and flies in May or June. Most 

 of writers say it is double-brooded, and 

 occurs again in August or September, but 

 so few people record the capture of common 

 species that we can give no references. The 

 larva feeds on meadow soft grass, 



64. PAMPHILA COMMA. 

 The Silver Spotted Skipper.— No 

 nearly so common as the last, and apparent- 

 ly more abundant in chalk, in the Eastern 

 and Southern counties of England. It is 

 not found in Ireland or Scotland. It flies 

 in July and August, and the larva probably 

 hybernates, to feed up in the spring. It 

 feeds on Birdsfoot trefoil, &c. 



Far too little is known from actual obser- 

 vation of the early stages of our British 

 Butterflies. Would it not be worth while 

 for the readers of the Young Naturalist to 

 try and work out thoroughly their history ? 

 So much is copied from book to book, that 

 statements are made for which no one knows 

 the authority. It is far from creditable that 

 with so many Entomologists in England, 

 our knowledge of the few butterflies we 

 have should be so scanty. 



One statement made in these brief papers 

 has been disputed by Mr. Gregson and 

 others. We replied to Mr. Gregson, but 

 have thought it well to quote what other 

 writers have to say. We refer to the food 

 plant of the Small Copper, L. Phlceas. " On 

 Rumex acetosa (Sorrel)" — Stainton's Manual. 

 " The egg is laid on several species of dock 

 [Rumex) as R. obtusifolhis, R. pulcher, R. ace- 

 tosa, R. acetosella." — Newman's British Butter- 

 flies. " Mrs. Boley caught the butterfly in 

 Guernsey, on the 23rd of September ; it 

 it laid on Dock on the same day. Food 

 plants : Broad-leaved Dock, Fiddle-headed 

 Dock, Sorrel, Sheep Sorrel, Ragwort." — 

 O. Wilson's Larva of British Lcpidoptera. 

 " Sorrel, Dock, Ragwort," — Merrin, The 

 Lepidopterists Calender. 



