THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



189 



'Tis the fairest scene we can have below — - 

 Sing, welcome, then to the drifting snow. 



" That is the sweetest music I have heard 

 for a long time," said the old man, "and how 

 have you spent your time during my absence, 

 I should like to know ? " 



In answer to this question a long row of 

 cabinet drawers were brought out, one after 

 the other, and held before them. His eyes, 

 though aged, were not dim, and as they fell 

 upon one beautiful insect after another, they ^ 

 fairly glistened with delight, and when he ; 

 came to a beautiful row of Plusias he ad- 

 mitted that though snow and ice were beauti- 

 ful in their way, yet they were not to com- ' 

 pare with the wing of a Plusia. 



"They are all very beautiful," says he, 

 ''but I am for utility ; is there any utility 

 about them ? " 



"Utility?" says his eldest daughter, "I 

 should never have thought of you asking 

 such a question. I should think there is. , 

 What can enliven the mind and promote ! 

 health more than the study of these ? If a ; 

 person has any veneration about him, he is i 

 the most devoted who knows most about the 

 works of Nature." 



(To be con tinned.) 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



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

 S. L. Mosley. 



(Assisted by Contributors to the Y. N.) 



MEGJERA. PI. 14, Fig. 2. 

 The Wall. 



" Megykra, Q., Mega'ra, one of the Furies. 

 Virg. .-Eon. xii, 846." — A. L. 



Imago — PI. 14, fig. 2. Tawny brown, 

 with dark markings. Forewing with one 

 eyed spot near the tip, hind wing with three 

 similar spots near the hind margin. The 

 male has a dark band on the forewing, run- 

 ning from behind the eyed spot to the middle 

 of the hind margin, which is wanting in the 



female. 



Larva. — Green, a pale line on each side 

 of the dorsal line, all of which are widest in 

 the middle. Spiracular line white. The 

 divisions of the anal segment are very short, 

 and are pink at the tip ; head green. The 

 body is all covered with minute warts, each 

 of which emit a short hair. 



Pupa. — Suspended by the tail, rather 

 stout, and humped, green in colour, with a 

 few paler marks. 



Food Plant.— Grasses. Seems to prefer 

 the Cocksfoot grass (Dactylus glomerata ). 



Times of Appearance.— The Butterfly 

 appears in May, in which month, or early in 

 June, the eggs are laid singly on the grass 

 stems. The larva is full fed by the middle 

 or end of July, and the species remains nearly 

 a month in the pupa state, the second brood 

 appearing in August. The eggs are laid 

 during this month, and hatch in a few days, 

 the larva feeding during the autumn, and it 

 would almost appear they sometimes pupate 

 before winter. This, however, is not in 

 accordance with the axiom that the same 

 species always passes the winter in the same 

 state, for it is certain that young larva? of 

 Megara may be found early in spring. Per- 

 haps those that pupate in autumn may 

 emerge then, and possibly, as has been sug- 

 gested with reference to the last species, in 

 fine seasons these may even pair, and deposit 

 their ova. 



Habitat. — Lanes and grassy places. It 

 is generally considered to be of universal 

 occurrence in Britain, except in the extreme 

 north of Scotland, but whatever may have 

 been the case formerly, I know of very ex- 

 tensive districts where it is no longer to be 

 found. When I commenced to collect it was 

 one of our commonest butterflies, but since 

 1S60 I have never seen but a solitary speci- 

 men. Dr. Buchanan White, quoted by Mr. 

 Newman, makes the same remark, adding, 

 " The series of cold summers following that 

 year seem to have destroyed the species ; 

 though possibly like Pyranceis uirJui, it may 



