140 



underside the wing cases brownish, somewhat marked with the pinkish grey- 

 tint ; the paler variety had all these same markings, but the dusky portions 

 much less extensive, and the general colouring green with a golden gloss or 

 lustre. — Extracted from " Larvse of British Butterflies/' 



Four different species of parasites, all belonging to the order Hyinenoptera, 

 have been bred from this butterfly, namely, Limneria eccareolata, Pimpla 

 diluia, Bracon variata&nd Apanteles emarginatus. 



Vanessa cardui is most uncertain in its appearance. Sometimes it will be 

 scarcely seen at all, or will disappear from a locality for many years. Then 

 it will come in such countless swarms that no satisfactory method of account- 

 ing for them has yet been discovered. In an ordinary way the butterfly 

 emerges in August or September, retires for the winter in October, to appear 

 again in the spring, when it pairs and deposits its eggs singly on the food- 

 plant. Occasionally there is an earlier brood in June, which mixes freely 

 with the hibernated specimens, and Mr. Buckler once bred a specimen in Feb- 

 ruary, and Mr. Wilkinson one on the 20th of November. It may be seen 

 on the wing at any time of year, even being enticed from winter quarters on 

 Christmas Day by an unusual warmth of the sun. Some lepidoptera remain 

 more than one winter in the chrysalis state, only a portion of a brood emerg- 

 ing, or the whole remaining over. When this occurs the insect does not 

 appear at an unusual time, but remains until its regular period of emergence 

 the following year. Some species, such as the Small Eggar (Eriogaster 

 lanesiris), have been known to pass as many as ten years in the chrysalis 

 state. The cause of this curious habit is not known, but in species which 

 emerge in February, as does Eriogaster lanestris, it is easy to see that it is 

 necessary for the protection of the race. Mr. McLachlan (see Entomologists' 

 Monthly Magazine for July, 1879), records living chrysalides of the Clouded 

 Yellow [Colias edusa), the produce of eggs laid by the butterflies of 1877, 

 and thinks that its life in that state can be prolonged over several years. The 

 Goat Moth (Cossus ligniperda), again, passes three years, and sometimes 

 more, in the caterpillar state. A most wonderful instance of the instinct of 

 self-preservation is shown by Oeneis bore, Schu., a true hyperborean butter- 

 fly, which has never been found outside of the Arctic circle, and even there 

 only occurs in places which bear a truly Arctic stamp. The caterpillar of 

 Oenis bore hibernates below the surface of the ground, feeds and grows all 

 through the following summer, but does not succeed in attaining its full size, 

 it then hybernates a second time, and does not assume the chrysalis state till 

 the spring of the following year. It is also probable that Vanessa cardui 

 and other species, when the summers are unsuitable, or whatever other ad- 

 verse causes there may be, pass a longer time in the chrysalis or some other 



