BRIMSTONE BUTTERFLY. 
101 
pale in the centre. The body is black above, and 
clothed with fine white silky hairs ; the under parts 
and the legs yellow. The antennae are reddish, 
and the anterior part of the head and thorax are 
faintly tinged with rose-colour. 
The caterpillar is elongated and naked, of a light 
green colour, with numerous black scaly dots on 
the back, and a pale line along each side of the belly. 
It is said to feed on the buckthorn ( Rhamnus cath- 
articus ), and the berry-hearing alder ( R.Jrangula ). 
It changes into a short angular chrysalis with a single 
conical beak, which is attached by the tail, and has 
a loose girth round the middle. 
This insect is generally distributed over the 
southern parts of England ; it likewise occurs pretty 
far to the north, as it is abundant at York, and has 
been observed by Mr Wailes on the magnesian lime- 
stone district near Newcastle, and by Mr Wilson on 
the banks of Windermere. It has not, however, 
been noticed in Scotland, a circumstance perhaps to 
be attributed to the rarity of the plants from which 
the larvae derive their sustenance. It very often sur- 
vives the winter ; and its early appearance (some- 
times before the middle of February), together with 
the gay tint of its colour, and the graceful outline of 
its wings, render it one of the most interesting he- 
ralds of the “ grata vice veris et Favonii.” “ The 
very first butterfly,” says Mr Knapp, “ that will 
aloft repair. 
And sport and flutter in the fields of air, 
