176 
PAINTED LADY. 
hind these, and the extreme margin is brownish-yel- 
low. The body is clothed with reddish-brown hairs 
above, and with white beneath. 
The caterpillar is very spiny, of a brownish-grey 
colour, with interrupted yellow lines along the sides. 
It is solitary, in this respect differing from all those 
of the genus Vanessa except V. atalanta, and feeds 
Dn different species of thistle, also on the nettle, mal- 
low, artichoke, and several other plants. The chry- 
salis is nearly of the same hue as the larva;, and 
thickly spotted with gold. 
This species is generally scarce, but appears in 
certain indefinite periods in considerable numbers. 
It was veiy abundant near London in 1826, but has 
been less frequently met with since. “ Near Dur- 
ham, but not common,” G. Andrews , Esq. In Scot- 
land it is seen occasionally throughout the southern 
division of the country ; and we once san r several 
individuals in the Edinburgh Botanical Garden, in 
the end of March, which had evidently just issued 
from their winter retreat. It is very widely spread, 
being found in America, the two extremities of 
Africa, and in Java. 
