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Siberia; and China, where at Kingiang, all the females hitherto taken 

 strangely enough are of the variety Valezina. It is a frequenter of woods, 

 and may be found in open places, on the outskirts of almost every extensive 

 wood in England. It seems to be equally abundant in Ireland, but scarce 

 in Scotland, not occurring north of Perthshire. 



It is first recorded as a British species in Kay's " Historia Insectorum/' 

 1710. He calls it "The greater Silver-stroaked Fritillary," and writes : 

 " Ostendit nobis D. Dale utrumque sexum." 



Wilkes, in his " English Moths and Butterflies," 1773, informs us that it 

 is most commonly found in woods, and the fields adjacent to woods. 



Lewin, in his "Insects of Great Britain, 1795, writes: "The caterpillar 

 of this superb butterfly is not yet discovered in England. The fly is on the 

 wing at the end of June ; and is not uncommon on the sides of woods, and 

 in the lanes near them. I suppose, that the old name of fritillary, given to 

 this butterfly, and the nine following species, is from their resemblance to 

 that flower, in their checkered markings on the upper wings. The cater- 

 pillars are remarkable for their rough and ugly appearance, being covered 

 with long hairy spines ; this formidable figure is their great protection from 

 insectivorous birds ; which however fond of smooth caterpillars, do not care 

 to touch these. They are very fearful, for, on the least motion of the plant 

 or leaf they are on, they drop to the ground, and the spines prevent their 

 being bruised in the fall/' 



ARGYNNIS AGLAIA. 

 Silver-spotted Fritillary, 

 Aglaia, Linn. Agla'ia, one of the three Graces. 



This Fritillary expands in the width of its wings from two inches and a 

 quarter to two inches and three-quarters. On the upperside they are fulvous 

 spotted with black, the female being the darker both in the ground colour 

 and markings. On the underside the hindwings are greenish, and partly 

 tawny, being splendidly studded with about twenty silvery spots ; the fore- 

 wings have marginal silvery spots towards the tip. The wings are more 

 rounded and not so pointed as those of Paphia. 



A variety differing from the type by having some of the silvery spots near 

 the base much larger, two pairs of them coalescing, has been named and 

 figured by Sowerby, in his " British Miscellany/' under the name of " Char- 

 lotta" in compliment to Queen Charlotte, the Consort of King George the 

 Third. It appears to be least rare in the North of England. 



The Scottish specimens are much darker than the English ; and I have a 

 very curious variety taken by Leplastrier, at Dover, many years ago, in 



