149 



the apex are very large. It is difficult, say the editors, to describe the varia- 

 tion of the underside, but the two conspicious blue spots are very remarkable. 



The egg is oblong, with six sharp edged longitudinal ribs coming over the 

 edge of the top, in the centre of which lies a large circular plain spot ; the 

 colour of the shell is a dark green, the ribs being pellucid. 



The caterpillar is variable in colour, sometimes being almost black, and at 

 other times soft grey with buff coloured spines ; the general colour, however, 

 is grey freckled with yellowish green. The head and legs are black, and 

 claspers red. The body is set with seven rows of branched spines, longer 

 than those of Cardui, but not so long as those of Io. It feeds solitarily on 

 the leaves of the common sting-nettle, and also the pellitory of the wall 

 (Parietaria officinalis). The young caterpillar, after selecting a suitable leaf 

 draws- it together by the edges, and lives within the retreat thus formed. 

 When it requires a larger domicile it leaves the old One and forms another, 

 but is never to be found feeding exposed; when removed from its retreat it 

 feigns death, bending its extremities together; all its movements are slow 

 and lethargic, and its only object, when exposed, appear to be again to con- 

 ltself. 



The chrysalis is long and stout, but somewhat rounded and much angu- 

 lated ; the colour is reddish grey, delicately reticulated and marbled with 

 black : it appears covered with bloom, like that on a ripe plum, and is 

 adorned with very beautiful golden spots. Albin, in 1731, says he found 

 some of these chrysalides gilded all over, and that they produced a brood of 

 small but very beautiful Ichneumons. No less than half-a-dozen parasites, 

 belonging to the order Hymenoptera, have been bred from Vanassa Atalanta, 

 viz. : Amblyteles armatorius, Hemiteles fulvipes, Limneria cursitans, Meso- 

 chorus sylvarum, Microgaster subcompletus, and Pteromalus puparum figured 

 by Albin ; Mesochorus sylvarum being a hyper-parasite on Microgaster sub- 

 completus. 



The butterfly rarely emerges from the chrysalis before September, being 

 thus later in its appearance than its congeners. Jt remains on the wing till 

 the beginning of November, so long as the ivy is in bloom and the frosts not 

 too severe, when it hybernates. It does not emerge from its winter quarters 

 so early as other hybernating species, and is very seldom seen. The sexes do 

 not pair much before June, and then the female deposits her eggs singly on 

 the leaves of the common nettle. The caterpillars are to be found in June 

 and J uly ; the chrysalides in August. 



Vanessa Jtalantahas a very wide range. It occurs all over Europe except 

 in the extreme north. It is found in Asia Minor, in North Africa, and in the 

 Mauritius, and also in America from Hudson's Bay to Mexico. In more 



