206 



able to give a satisfactory account of them. Their food is the Devil's-Bit 

 Scabious, which, at that time of the year, hardly appears above ground. They 

 feed on the opening leaves as fast as they come up, which is the reason why 

 those who found the caterpillars could never see the food. "When the sun 

 happens to be shut in by clouds they stand still, and though eating very 

 greedily, they will suddenly cease : but on the return of the sunbeams, they 

 run nimbly over the tops of the grass, and descend into every vacancy in the 

 grass they can find in search of this food. Nor did I ever find above two at 

 one root, although the field appeared to be covered with the caterpillars. 

 When in their last skin they appear to be very black, and thickly set with 

 sharp spikes ; and their back and sides are powdered with white specks. 

 The preparation they make for the preservation of their chryslides is much to 

 be admired. When one is ready for his transformation, his first business is 

 to draw several pieces of blades of grass across each other" toward the top. 

 These he fastens together with his web, and then beneath the centre, where 

 the blades of grass intersect each other, he hangs himself pendulous by the 

 tail, and changes to the chrysalis. This method they have of providing for 

 their safety while in the chrysalis state, is a strong proof of the amazing 

 instinct of these little creatures. They are not only securely hid from the 

 sight of birds, but defended from the damage they might otherwise sustain 

 in boisterous and windy weather ; for, as the grass is drawn from every side, 

 let the wind blow which way it will, one or more of the pieces of the grass 

 immediately acts in the manner of a stay. It is remarkable in this insect 

 that neither fly nor caterpillar will stray from the field in which they were 

 bred, and though I have seen some thousands in the field, yet I could never 

 find one in the meadows adjoining. In September the caterpillars may be 

 seen in great abundance. They keep together under the cover of a fine web, 

 which they spin to defend themselves from the inclemency of the weather, 

 and under the protection of this they pass the winter months/' 



Stephen's, in his " Illustrations of British Entomology," 1828, writes 

 " A local species, rare near London, but particularly abundant near Brighton, 

 and at Enborne, in Berkshire ; it also occurs near Norwich ; in Clapham 

 Park, Bedfordshire ; in Dorsetshire ; in Glamorganshire ; at Eriswell and 

 Mildenhall, in Suffolk ; Dartmoor, in Devonshire ; and at Beachamwell, in 

 Norfolk ; usually towards the end of May." 



Newman, in his "British Butterflies," 1871, writes, "In Ireland it is 

 common, occurring in the county Wicklow, also in Galway and at Killarney ; 

 and is abundant at Glen Lough and Cromlyn Bog, in Westmeath, where it 

 is very highly coloured and very various in size. In Scotland it seems rare 

 and local, but increases as far north as Forres. Scottish specimens are 



