THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



S7 



straw color, the outer band of red, having a 

 row of yellow spots with black centres. 

 These bands are divided from each other by 

 thin black lines. The underside has rather 

 a greasy appearance, whence the common 

 name. 



Larva. — Plate 10, Fig. 3a. Black with 

 numerous white dots, in three not very clearly 

 defined rows, head and legs black, claspers 

 smoke colored. Besides the spines, there is 

 a black bristle in the centre of each white dot. 

 The spines are branched, and most numerous 

 from the fifth segment. (We are indebted to 

 Mr. Dawson, of Carlisle, for the larva from 

 which our figure was taken.) 



Pupa — Short and stumpy, pale stone 

 color, turning brighter as the time of emer- 

 gence approaches, when the red and black 

 markings may be seen through the pupa skin. 



Pood Plants --The larva is generally 

 understood to feed on the Devil's -bit Scabious 

 (Scabiosa succisa ) but other "plants are named 

 by authors, though we do not know on what 

 authority, viz. Field Scabious (Scabiosa 

 arvensis.) Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). 

 Wood-sage (Teucrium Scorodonia) and Plan- 

 tain (Plantago). 



Times of appearance. --The imago is 

 to be found from the middle c '. May till the 

 latter end of June or sometimes rather later 

 in more northern localities. We have taken it 

 in fine condition in the first week in July, near 

 Castle Eden Dene. The eggs are deposited 

 in batches on the underside of the leaves of 

 the food plant. The larva are gregarious 

 when first hatched, and draw the leaves down 

 and together, while they live under shelter of 

 the tent thus formed, and devour the under- 

 side of the leaves only. They feed but slowly 

 during summer, and pass the winter low 

 down among the leaves of the food plant, or 

 I other herbage, which are drawn together as 

 I described. On the approach of warmer 

 weather they leave their hybernaculum, and 

 ; now feed quite exposed, being apparently as 

 fond of the rays of the sun as the others of 

 the genus. When full ted they seek the 



underside of a leaf, or similar shelter for their 

 final change. They are full fed from the 

 middle to the end of April. 



Habitat — The Greasy Fritillary fre- 

 quents damp meadows, or similar places 

 when the Devil's-bit scabious grows. Where 

 it occurs it is often exceedingly local, frequent- 

 ing perhaps one corner only of a field, and 

 often changing its head quarters, quite dis- 

 appearing from the place where it abounded 

 one year, and being as abundant the next 

 year in another spot not far away. It occurs 

 all over England, and also both in Scotland 

 and Ireland. It is generally distributed over 

 Northern Europe and Siberia, but does not 

 occur in the polar regions. It scarcely 

 reaches the countries bordering on the Medi- 

 terranean, though one variety occurs in 

 Turkey, and another in Spain (Andelusia) 

 , and in Barbary in Africa. 



Variation. — Artemis varies more gene- 

 rally than any other British butterfly, and 

 though its range of variation is restricted by 

 the three colors of the type, it is surprising 

 , what changes of appearance are produced. 

 We are inclined to the opinion that while 

 tolerably uniform in 'any one locality, most 

 local races are distinctly different from others, 

 and if a large enough collection were made 

 ' of British specimens, an arrangement by ap- 

 1 pearance would also be found to be an 

 . arrangement by locality. The Irish speci- 

 | mens, Uibcrnica, Birchall, are the most beauti- 

 1 ful, the colors contrasting more, the pale 

 shade being paler than the type, the red 

 bands and spots being brighter red, and the 

 black marks being deeper black. The Scotch 

 form, Scotica, is smaller, scarcely so densely 

 scaled, the red and yellow marks not so dis- 

 tinctly different, and the black, duller in hue. 

 Both this and the Irish form often have the 

 inner half of the red band near the hind 

 margin, pale straw color. In the north of 

 England the insect is like the Scotch form, 

 but as we approach the south the specimens 

 are larger, the red and yellow markings still 

 nearer each "other in shade, and the black 



