and a' row of black dots above them : the head, like that of the rest of the 

 family, is large, and is of a purplish brown colour : The spiracles are very 

 small and red. When full-grown it is nearly three quarters of an inch in 

 length, with the back a little arched and the belly rather flattened : the body 

 is very plump, and thickest in the middle segments. It feeds on the Bird's- 

 foot Trefoil (Lotus comiculatus.) — (Mr. W. Buckler on " Larvse " by the 

 Ray Society.) 



The chrysalis is smooth, without angles, the thoracic segments being 

 swollen and of a dark green colour ; the body is tinged with rosy red ; it is 

 conical and pointed. (Newman.) 



The butterfly emerges in May, and it continues on the wing till June is 

 well in. The eggs are laid on the food-plant, and as soon as the caterpillar 

 is hatched, it conceals itself by drawing the leaves together. In the South 

 of England, a second brood emerges in August, and the caterpillar lives over 

 the winter ; but there is only one brood in the North, and it passes the 

 winter in the chrysalis state. 



Nisoniades tages occurs all over Europe, except the Polar regions, in 

 Northern and Western Asia, and Asia Minor ; frequenting dry sunny places. 



It is common all over England, and the South of Scotland, but occurs as 

 far north as Invernesshire and Rosshire. It also occurs in Galway and pro- 

 bably other parts of Ireland. It appears to have been known as British as 

 long ago as 1667, for Dr. Christopher Merrett gives the following description 

 of a butterfly in his " Pinax rerum Naturalium Britannicarum, continens 

 vegitabilia, Animalia, et Fossilia, in hac Insula repecta inchoatus," viz. : 

 "Corpore, pedibus, capitulo, antennis, cineritiis." 



It is described by John Bay in his "Historia Insectorum," 1710; and 

 figured and described by James Petiver in his " Papilionum Britanniae Icones," 

 1717. Petiver records it thus, " Papilo niger fuscus Hampstediensis mar- 

 moratus. Handley's small brown butterfly. , It is brown above and paler 

 below, and dully marbled." 



Moses Harris, in his "Aurelian's Pocket Companion," 1775, records it as 

 haunting woods, heaths, and meadows. 



Lewin, in his " Insects of Great Britain," 1795, writes, "This species of 

 butterfly is to be seen flying the beginning of May, in the dry open parts of 

 woods, and the sides of roads and lanes. It delights to settle on the ground 

 to sun itself. The caterpillar is not known. In the male and females flies 

 there is little or no difference, either in colour or markings." 



Haworth, in his f * Lepidoptera Britannica," 1803, records it as frequenting 

 woods and meadows in May ; unfrequent near London, but more frequent in 

 in Norfolk. 



