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are as black streaks to the margin. It is as if nearly all the black of the 

 forewing had been transferred to the hindwing. This specimen also varies 

 much on the underside, which is streaked with red, yellow, and silver, in lieu 

 of the usual spots. It was taken near Ipswich in 1875. The Lapland 

 variety Eela, Staud., is smaller and darker than the type. Eour others have 

 been named, viz. : Thalia, Esp. ; Pales, Bergst. ; Marphisa, Herbst. ; and 

 Binaldus, Herbst. 



The egg is of a dumpy, blunt, sugar-loaf shape, with a thin, soft, glisten- 

 ning shell, which is ribbed with about eighteen ribs, and transversely reticu- 

 lated : it is at first of a subdued pale yellow, but afterwards turns to more of 

 drab. 



The caterpillar when newly hatched is of a pale olive, with a shining black 

 head. When full-grown it is a velvety smoky pink, and has a dark brown 

 dorsal line, which throughout its course expands and contracts twice in each 

 segment : in front of each sub-dorsal spine, and partially enclosing it, is a 

 velvety black spot delicately edged with white, while behind each spine is a 

 blackish interruped streak. The spiracles are black, the forelegs pale pink 

 with blackish brown tips, and the anterior legs are black and shining. It 

 feeds on the leaves of the dog violet [Viola canina), and hibernates when 

 small. Unlike its congenor Euphrosyne, the caterpillar of Selene has an 

 aversion to the rays of the sun, and does not at any stage care to expose 

 itself to their direct influence, but reposes either on the undersides of the 

 leaves, or else on the stems while shaded more or less by the leaves, and feeds 

 while young, on the youngest and most tender leaves of the violet. (W. 

 Buckler . " Larvae of British Lepidoptera/') 



The chrysalis is suspended head downwards ; it is about half-an-inch in 

 length, thick, and obtuse in front, and much curved in outline. It is brown 

 in colour, with metallic spots and black spiracles : the ground colour is most 

 delicately reticulated with blackish brown. 



The butterfly emerges at the end of May, but more frequently in the 

 begining of June, and continues on the wing for about a month. When the 

 flight of Euphrosyne is nearly over, then Selene appears upon the scene ; but 

 it is only for a short time the two bear each other company. The caterpillar 

 is hatched in July, but does not, as a rule, feed up till spring in this country. 

 Sometimes, however, it does so, and the butterfly appears in autumn ; small 

 and apparently stunted specimens. Like most others of the genus, Selene is 

 a wood-frequenting species, and occurs all over Europe, except the southern 

 parts such as Spain and Portugal, Southern Italy, Greece, &c., and is also 

 found in Northern and Western Asia. It has never been recorded from 

 Ireland, but is far commoner in Scotland than 'Euphrosyne, occurring as far 



