THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



283 



ccrtata. As this place is a deal further north 

 than any of the localities mentioned by 

 either Newman or Stainton it perhaps might 

 be of interest to some of the collectors. — John j 

 Hill, Little Eaton, near Derby. 



Captures neak Liverpool. — Ab regards 

 collecting hereabouts, one feels more inclined J 

 to grumble at the vretched weather, than to 

 have the spirits damped by the incessant 

 rain that makes its appearance whenever one 

 one has an opportunity of shouldering the 

 net. But whenever a fine evening does pres- 

 itself H. Humuli, and 7?. crateegata swarm about 

 the hedge-rows, while the little Tineina flit 

 about the railway embankmets. Amongst 

 others, I have taken A. fuliginosa, N. 

 -.onaria, very abundant during the latter 

 end of March and April. M. subtristata, M. 

 moutanata, M . fluctu ita, E. lineolata, T. pini- 

 perda, T. gothica at Sallow Blossoms, T. opima, 

 etc. Numerous Dipterons and Hymenoptera 

 (Ichneumonidte), D Marginalis (male, female, 

 and larvae) and C. Hybrida flying about in 

 large number, last Bank Holiday, on the 

 Sandhills. Larva? of C. caja on the nettles 

 near Raby are now very common, as is also a 

 small ichneumon parasitic upon them, num- 

 bers of which desert their victims daily, while 

 their white cocoons stud the box all over. I 

 have counted upwards of sixty from one full 

 grown larva. The} - must be immediately 

 removed, for they hatch in about eighteen 

 days, spreading sure death and destruction 

 among the unfortunate Caja. Larva: of A. 

 urtica (very young), 0. fascelina, B. quercus, 

 and 0. potatoria. My breeding cages have 

 yielded so far, A. lubricipeda, (with a var, i 

 of male), A . menthastri, A . pittris, M . persicarioe, 

 N '. piecta,-H. oleracevci, Sec. I saw a butterfly 

 towards the latter end of May, near the 

 Central Station, and a white on June yth, 

 hotly pursued by half a dozen enthusiasts. 

 Altogether, this spring has not been nearly 

 so satisfactory as the last. — C. H. H. Walker, 

 Liverpool. 



[We should be obliged for specimens of the 

 parasites from C. caja. Eds.] 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



By J. E. Robson ; with figures from life by 

 S. L. Moslev. 

 (Assisted by Contributors to the Y. N.) 

 GENUS V. PIER1S. 



" Pieris, a muse. The muses derived 

 their name Pierides from Mount Pieries, 

 where they were worshipped." — A. L. 



This is one of the largest genera of Butter- 

 flies, and its members are distributed over 

 the whole world. As defined by Kirby it 

 numbers nearly 200 species. White is the 

 prevailing color, but many of the Exotic 

 species are very gaily marked, particularly on 

 the underside. Eight species are recorded 

 as occurring in Europe. Three of these 

 inhabit Britain, and one (the first-named 

 below) is an occasional visitor. 



6, DAPL1DICE, Linn. PI. 4, Fig. 1. 

 •Daplidice, one of the daughters of 

 Danaus. Cf. Hyginus, Fab. 170." — A. L. 



Imago. — PI- 4, Fii.'. 1. Male and under- 

 side, and female. Forewing, tip dark green- 

 ish, or brownish grey black, broken with 

 white spots and marks. A spot of the same 

 color at the disc, often extending to thecosta. 

 In the female there is another spot near the 

 anal angle. Hind wing white, the markings 

 of the underside showing through ; a spot on 

 the ccsta near the tip, sometimes very faint ; 

 the female sometimes has a few spots, more 

 or less distinct between the veins at the hind 

 margin, but we believe this only occurs in the 

 autumn brood. Underside : — Forewing as 

 the upper side, but the markings fainter. 

 Hind wing mottled with dark green. The 

 only other British Butterfly mottled in this 

 manner is A. cardamines, in which the mottling 

 is paler green, and specked with yellow. The 

 female of Cardamines has often been mistaken 

 for Daplidice by beginners, and sometimes 

 Daplidice has been passed as Cardamines. 

 They may always be distinguished by the 

 mark at the tip, which is never spotted or 

 broken with white marks in Cardamines as it 

 is in Daplidice, in which species there is always 

 a square, or nearly square, white spot close 



