28G 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



Both sexes hybernate, but their hybernation 

 appears less perfect than that of most species, 

 for a fine day brings them out, sometimes 

 even in winter. They do not pair till spring. 

 The larvse may be found from the end of May 

 to July. It only remains in pupa about 

 three weeks. 



Habitat- — Country lanes, and open 

 places. Not found in the most northerly 

 counties of England, nor in Scotland, the 

 food plant not occurring north of Yorkshire. 

 Common in the South of Ireland. It has an 

 extended range abroad, being found all over 

 •Europe and Asia, in North Africa, and 

 California. 



Variation. — Varieties are very rare in 

 Britain, some are said to have occurred with 

 orange colored spots and dashes on the fore 

 wing, of the same hue as the centre spots. 

 Mr. Gregson has one with a large carmine 

 dash on the costa. There are also some 

 varieties in which one sex has part of the 

 wings the color of the other. Mr. Bond has 

 one with the hind margin of all the wings, for 

 about half their extent, colored with the hue 

 of the female, several females with dashes of 

 the male color, and one having one side male 

 and the other female. Several forms have 

 been named. Favinosa, Zett. has a mealy ap- 

 pearance, being flecked all over with orange 

 or carmine scales. It is not of unfrequent 

 occurrence in the south-eastern parts of 

 Europe. Nepalensis Doiib. from Northern 

 India, is given as a good species in " Doub, & 

 West. Gen. Diur. Lepid.," but Kirby only con- 

 siders it a variety of Rhamni. Aspasia, Men. is 

 found in Amurland and in Japan, and Acu- 

 minata, Feld. (a variety or sub-variety of the 

 last named) is recorded from Ningpo. We 

 are not acquainted with the differences of any 

 of them. 



Allied Species. — Many species of 

 Lepidoptera vary in intensity of color, accord- 

 ing to latitude being lighter or darker, 

 brighter or duller in hue, according to 

 whether they occur in the north or south. 

 Bearing this in mind, and also the tendency 



of Rhamni to vary by extra orange markings 

 as described above, we are prepared to under- 

 stand that doubts are felt as to the specific 

 distinctness of G. Cleopatra, Linn, the male of 

 which has a large patch of orange in the 

 middle of the fore wings, fading off into 

 sulphur yellow towards the margins ; the 

 female being undistinguishable from Rhamni. 

 It occurs in South Europe and North Africa, 

 and is said to have been bred from the same 

 batch of eggs as G. Rhamni, but this appears 

 to want confirmation. The occurrence of a 

 specimen of G. Cleopatra in England adds to 

 the probabilities of it only being a variety. 

 This was taken on 27th June, i860, by J. 

 Fullerton, Esq., at Thrybergh Parle, near 

 Rotherham, and is recorded by the Rev. H, 

 Adair Pickard, in the Entomologists' Weekly 

 Intelligencer, for 1st September, i860, page 

 571. In the Canary Islands another species 

 (?) is found, G. Clcobule, Hub., which has the 

 whole wing of the deep orange color. We 

 shall not be surprised to find these three and 

 their varieties, proved to be but one species, and 

 the increased intensity of color which obtains in 

 the warmer latitude to be from that cause. 



Parasites.— We figure PI. 2, Fig. 2c, a 

 specimen of Limneria albida, Gml., which was 

 bred by Mr. G. C. Bignell, of Plymouth, 

 from a larva of this species. 



FRESH-WATER AQUARIA. 



By S. L. Mosley. 

 If you remember we were to have a trip to 

 the country to-day to collect some objects to 

 stock your new aquarium. Well, have you 

 got all ready ? If not, get ready at once, as 

 there is no time to loose, the weather is fine, 

 and Nelly is waiting to carry the basket for 

 us. First, you will want an open basket, two 

 or three wide-mouthed pickle bottles, and two 

 or three smaller bottles of similar make. 

 Have them to fit in the basket so that they 

 cannot upset, otherwise all our labour may 

 be lost on our journey home. Next we shall 

 want a net. It must be a piece of strong 

 wire twisted into a ring about 8 or 10 inches 



