192 
THE 
CANADIAN 
NATURALIST 
cannot penetrate, while the leaves quivering in the air, seem 
as if each one were possessed of an individual life, and were 
frolicking in mirth and gaiety. The bushes and shrubs 
are studded with myriads of happy insects, of all sorts, 
merrily hurrying to and fro, and enjoying their brief but 
joyous span of life in the gladdening beam. 
Charles. — It is indeed a scene of loveliness : it is al- 
most worth a winter of frost and snow to witness such a 
scene. The apples in the orchard, and the wild cherry trees 
in the woods are now mere bunches of blossoms, so profuse 
as to quite hide the leaves. The fields of grass are brightly 
green, and enamelled with flowers, and the young grain is 
of a still richer and deeper greenness. The cattle in the 
pastures are beginning to acquire the sleekness consequent 
upon fresh and abundant herbage, and warm weather; and 
every thing speaks of happiness. The birds do not appear 
in such numbers, nor with so much familiarity as before, 
having probably domestic duties to attend to in the shelter 
of the groves ; but the insect tribes are more and more 
numerous. 
F. — What new acquisitions have you lately made in 
entomology ? 
C. — The American Pearl-border Fritillary (MelitcBa 
Marina J, a very pretty little butterfly, much resembling 
M, EuphrosynC) has made its appearance. It is one of 
those Fritillaries which are marked, especially on the under 
surface, with spots having the lustre and polished metallic 
appearance of silver. Why is the name Fritillary given to 
this division of butterflies ? 
F, — Fritillarius signifies a chess or chequer-board, and 
the term is applied to this family, because a majority of the 
species composing it, have the upper surface of the wings, 
and sometimes the lower also, tesselated or chequered with 
black and tawny. This species, though small, is very 
