THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



347 



the end of the month, and are full fed in 

 September. They remain in pupa over the 

 winter. 



Habitat. — Abundantly distributed in 

 England and Scotland, but I have not heard 

 of its occurrence in Ireland. It is to be 

 found all over Europe, in Asia Minor, &c. 



Variation.— A well-known variation 

 having the spots confluent is figured in 

 Newman, and called Lavatera, Haw. A still 

 more extreme form of this variety is figured 

 in Mosiey's illustrations, from a specimen 

 in the collection of Mr. Howard Vaughan, 

 and called Taras, Meig. I believe these 

 names both represent the same form, which 

 Kirby calls Fritillum, W.V. Mclotis, Dup., 

 occurring in Syria, is larger, and has the 

 hind wings all white on the underside. 



Note. — This species is now called 

 Malvce, Linn., by writers, and this name 

 should be adopted as it dates from 1761 and 

 Hubner's name of Alveolus only from 1798- 

 Indeed a British author, Lewin, used the 

 name Malvce as early as 1795. 



NISONIADES, Hub., 1816. 



THANOS, Bdv, 1832. 

 "Thanaos, Bdv., Than'os, perhaps a 

 typograpical error for Thanatos, Death. If 

 this be so, the name must have been in 

 allusion to the dark colour of the species." 

 — A.L. 



A genus of about 50 species, of which but 

 two occur in Europe, and only one in 

 Britain. They are mostly brown in colour, 

 "with ashy coloured undulating bars." 

 The males have the costal margin of the 

 fore wings double, or folded, the inside of 

 the fold being covered with fine downy 

 hairs, as in the last genus, from which they 

 may be distinguished by the fringe of 

 Nisoxiades not being spotted. 



TAGES, Linn. PI. 26, Fig. 3. 

 The Dingy Skipper. 

 "Tages, L., Ta'ges, a son of Genius, who 

 first taught the Etruscans the art of divi- 



I nation. Linnaeus probably chose this name 

 for one the Ruricola, because the story is 

 told of Tages being found by a rustic, while 

 ploughing." — A.L. 



Imago.— PI. 26, Fig. 3. Dull brown, 

 with grey " undulating bars." A vow of pale 

 dots at the hind margin. 



Larva — «« Pale green, two yellow lines 

 on each side, and a row of black spots above 

 each " Duponchel, quoted by Stainton. 



Pupa. — " 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. 



Food Plant.— Birds foot trefoil {Lotus 

 corniculatus.) 



Times of Appearance. — The Butter- 

 fly emerges in May, and it continues on the 

 wing till June is well in. The eggs are laid 

 on the food, and as soon as the larva appears 

 it conceals itself by drawing the leaves 

 together. In the South of England, a second 

 brood emerges in August or September, and 

 the larva lives over the winter ; but there is 

 but one brood further North, and it passes 

 that season in the pupa state. 



Habitat — Common all over England 

 and Scotland, except in the Northern parts. 

 It is to be found on dry banks, railway sides, 

 lanes, &c. It occurs all over Europe, except 

 the Polar regions, Northera and Western 

 Asia, and Asia Minor. 



Variation. — I have never seen a well- 

 marked aberration of this species. The 

 grey markings on the wings are sometimes 

 more clearly defined then on others. Two 

 forms are named, viz. — Unicolor, Frr., 

 which, as its name implies is unicolourous 

 on the .upper side. This form occurs in 

 Greece and Western Asia. The other is 

 called Cervantes, Grael. It is larger and 

 obscurely marked, and is found in Andalusia. 



