144 



moment they are hatched. Professor Bonelli, of Turin, however, observed a 

 similar flight of the same species in the March preceeding their appearance at 

 Grandson. Their flight was also directed from south to north, and their 

 numbers immense. At night the flowers were literally covered with them. 

 Towards the 29th of March their numbers diminished, but even in J une a few 

 still continued. They have been traced from Coni, llaconni, Suse, &c. A 

 similar flight is recorded, as having taken place in the year 1741, in Italy, by 

 Mr. Locke, in the "Memoirs of the Academy of Turin.'" During the whole 

 season, those butterflies, as well as their caterpillars, were very abundant, and 

 more beautiful than usual." A similar flight was observed in 1836, in the 

 Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. Another flight was witnessed by Colonel 

 Drummond Hay (see "Entomologists' Monthly Magazine/' Yol. IX., p. 149.) 

 and recorded thus : "It was, as far as I can recollect, in the early part of the 

 summer of 1842, while stationed in Video, a small island in the harbour of 

 Corfu, that an extraordinary flight of the Painted Lady butterfly took place. 

 The first part of the column reached the island about 9 o'clock in the morn- 

 ing, and continued steadily to advance in rolling masses of many thousands 

 for upwards of three hours. Though the density of the column was at no 

 time very great, yet it appeared to extend in breadth as far as one could see, 

 having the appearance of black drifting snow, if I may so call it. By one 

 o'clock, the flight had completely passed : the wind at the time was blowing 

 from the south-east. In the afternoon, on sailing up the channel of Corfu, 

 the traces of the passage of the flight were very evident, from the quantities 

 of dead butterflies which floated on the surface of the water ; and for days 

 afterwards, they were to be seen drifting into the various bays in the island 

 of Corfu. 1 did not hear whether (his flight had been observed on the Con- 

 tinent, but, as they appeared to be taking the direction of the coast of Italy, 

 they would, in all probability, strike the land in the vicinity of Otranto." 



The first in England to figure and describe it was old Mouffet, in 1633. 



In Ray's " Historia Insectorum," 1710, we are informed that the Painted 

 Lady occurs very frequently about Braintree, in Essex, and in other places. 



Petiver in 1717, informs us that Bella Donna, or Painted Lady, usually 

 settles on banks or dry ground. 



Benjamin Wilkes, in his " English Moths and Butterflies," 1773, informs 

 us that it spends fourteen days in the chrysalis state, and that it is not so 

 common as the Peacock butterfly. 



Eleazer Albin, in his "Natural History of English Insects," 1749, informs 

 us that he found a caterpillar spun up in nettle leaves on the 22nd of June, 

 from which, on the 15th of July, he bred a most beautiful Painted Lady 

 butterfly. 



