THE LARGE WHITE 
297 
Distribution. This familiar butterfly ranges over all parts 
of the British Islands and abroad it is distributed throughout 
the Palaearctic region. 
Time of Appearance. The Large White is a double-brooded 
species, the first brood appearing on the wing from the end 
of April to about the end of June, and the second brood from 
mid-July to the end of September, and in very warm and 
early seasons, when the second brood appears a month earlier, 
a partial third brood makes its appearance. 
Hibernation. This species passes hiber¬ 
nation in the pupal state, which usually 
occupies between seven and eight months. 
Egg Laying. This butterfly lays its eggs 
on many kinds of cruciferous plants, such 
as the various cultivated cabbages, turnips, 
radishes, mustard and other cresses, especi¬ 
ally the common garden Tropaeohmi major 
(commonly but erroneously known as 
nasturtium ), in the months of May and 
June, and again in August and early 
September. The eggs are laid upon both 
surfaces of the leaves in batches varying 
from about forty to one hundred in a 
group. They are laid in a single layer, 
neatly packed side by side all in one plane, 
and are deposited at regular intervals of 
ten seconds between each, the actual time 
of deposition of each egg being four 
seconds, and the whole process of de¬ 
positing each egg occupying fourteen 
seconds. This results in the parent butterfly, when in the 
act of laying a batch of 100 eggs, remaining half an hour 
without moving her position. 
Egg. During average summer weather the egg stage lasts 
about eight or ten days, according to temperature; in 
exceptionally warm weather they hatch in between four and 
five days, but’ during continuous cool weather the hatching 
may take place on the seventeenth day. The egg stands 
erect; it is 1*21 mm. high and is of an elliptical shape with 
an elongated apex. There are from seventeen to nineteen 
Segment of the larva 
the Large White 
after emergence. 
of 
