G REAS Y FIUTILLAIty. 
143 
anterior wings only. The other parts are nearly as 
in the allied species. 
The caterpillar feeds on the two common species 
of Plantain, and also oti the Devil's-bit Scabious. 
The body is black above, armed with spines of the 
same colour, and the under side is yellow. A line 
of very minute white dots is drawn along the back, 
and another on each side. The legs are reddish. 
The butterfly first appears on the wing towards the 
middle of May, and, like most of the Fritillaries, it 
presents a considerable number of varieties. It owes 
its English name to the glistening appearance of the 
wings, especially on the under side, which look as if 
they had been rubbed over with grease. It appears 
to occur in most of the southern counties of Eng- 
land, and is said to be particularly abundant near 
Brighton, and at Enborne in Berks. It likewise 
occurs pretty far to the north, as we are informed 
by Mr Andrews that it has been found near Dur- 
ham ; and P. J. Selby, Esq. has taken it near Bel- 
ford, in the county of Northumberland. 
