176 



tomologist," Vol. XII., p. 206., "in one insect both gynandromorphism 

 and dimorphism existed." Specimens are not very rare in which the black 

 spots are confluent : and stray specimens have occurred with a white spot on 

 every wing. Another very remarkable variety is figured in the " Entomo- 

 logist," Vol, XV. In this, the partial melanism of all the wings is correlated 

 with the obliteration of the silvery markings on the underside, with the 

 exception of a pearly patch at the base. A variety, without any silver stripes 

 on the underside of the hind-wings, occurrs in Southern Europe and 

 Western Asia, and is named Anargyra in Stau dinger's catalogue. 



The egg in shape is like a dumpy cone, laid erect on the flattened end and 

 rounded off at the top ; the shell with about twenty tolerably prominent 

 longitudinal ribs, some not reaching to the top. The colour is, at first, of a 

 pale greenish yellow and glistening, but it turns paler in about a week, with 

 a leaden grey patch near the top. 



The young caterpillar, on hatching, breakfasts on the egg shell : it is short 

 and rather stout, and of an ochreous yellow with a shining blackish brown 

 head. On its first appearance in spring, the caterpillar is no more than one- 

 eight of an inch long, having apparently moulted but once before hibernation. 

 After another moult, some time between April 12th and 20th, the spines 

 appear, they are alike short and stumpy, pinkish brown in colour, with black 

 tips and branches. The head and body are now black, with double lines of 

 whitish violet on the back. When full grown, it measures from about one 

 and a half to one and five-eights of an inch in length, and is in proportion 

 rather stout. Down the whole length of the back are two stripes of brilliant 

 yellow separated by a black dorsal line ; these stripes are relieved by a black, 

 velvet-like borderings of markings. The spines are now of a reddish ochreous 

 colour, with their extreme tips and branches black. It feeds on the leaves 

 of the common violet, and changes into a chrysalis in the beginning of 

 June. 



The chrysalis, about an inch long, when seen sideways is deepest across 

 near the end of the wing covers, and the largest projecting points. It is of 

 a pale brown colour, with gold spots on the back, and on the tips of the 

 prominences. On each side of the back is a row of obtuse, tapering, promi- 

 nent points ; a larger pair at the head are suggestive of ears. 



Two Hymenopterous parasites, Amblyteles homocerus, Wesm., and Hemi- 

 teles melanarius, Gran., have been bred from it. 

 I The butterfly is on the wing during the whole of the month of July and 

 August, and is rather difficult to capture owing to its partiality to the flowers 

 of the bramble. 



It occurs all over Europe, except in the extreme north, in Western Asia, 



