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together. In these situations, a person unaccustomed to them, would not hesitate to pronounce them, from a little distance, the mere rugosities of the bark.

These various modes of eluding our sight, added to the uncertainty of breeding many species when procured, have prevented our being acquainted with the larvæ of the far greater number of the lepidopterous insects.

OF THE BUTTERFLIES IN GENERAL*.

These elegant insects feed on the nectar of flowers, and on the moisture which exudes from plants and trees, which they extract by means of their long proboscis or tongue. Their caterpillars are sometimes smooth, and sometimes thickly covered with hair; and their chrysalids are naked, and attached, apparently in a lifeless state, to trees, or other substances, by filaments proceeding either from the tip or the middle of their bodies.

THE LARGE WHITE BUTTERFLY †.

This is a common species, and, in its caterpillar state, is often very destructive to our cabbage and cauliflower plants. The caterpillars seem almost confined to these vegetables, on which they are generally to be found in great numbers from June to October. The butterflies first appear on wing in the middle of

*The antennæ of these insects are thicker towards the tip than in any other part, and generally end in a knob. The wings, when at rest, are erect, the upper edges meeting together over the body. They are all diurnal animals.

+ DESCRIPTION. The general colour of this Butterfly is white, but the male differs from the female in having a few dark spots on his wings.

SYNONYMS. Papilio Brassica. Linn.--Large Garden White Butterfly. Harris.

May, and, about the end of the same month, they lay their eggs in clusters on the under sides of cabbageleaves. In a few days the caterpillars come forth, and continue to feed together till the end of June, when they are at their full growth. They then traverse about in search of some convenient place to fix themselves, where, after their change, the chrysalids may be sheltered. When such are found, they each fasten their tail by a web, and carry a strong thread of the same round their body near the head; and thus firmly secured, they hang a few hours, when the chrysalis becomes perfectly formed, and divested of the caterpillar's skin. In fourteen days after this, the butterfly is produced. The caterpillars of this latter brood attain their growth, and change to chrysalids in September, in which state they remain through the winter, till the beginning of the following May. During this time we often see them hanging under the copings of garden walls, under pales, and in other places, where they can have tolerable shelter from the inclemency of the weather.

The most effectual way of clearing cabbage and cauliflower plants of caterpillars, is to send children into the gardens, to pick them off and destroy them. This may seem a troublesome and expensive mode; but it has been found to answer, even to the extent of clearing many acres of field-cabbages.

THE PURPLE EMPEROR*.

This is the most beautiful and most interesting of all the British Butterflies. In its manners, as well as in the varying lustre of its purple plumes, says Mr.

DESCRIPTION. The wings are indented, and of a rich brown colour, with a blue gloss, and have a whitish interrupted band on each side. On the upper part of the under wings there is an eye-like spot.

SYNONYMS. Papilio iris. Linn.-Le Mars, Tigny,

Haworth, it possesses the strongest claim to our attention.

It makes its appearance about the month of July, fixes its residence upon the summit of some lofty oak, from the utmost sprigs of which, in sunny days, it performs its aërial excursions. "In these,” continues this writer, "he ascends to a much greater elevation than any insect I have ever seen; sometimes mounting even higher than the eye can follow, especially if he happen to quarrel with another Emperor, the monarch of some neighbouring oak. These insects never meet without a battle, flying upward all the while, and combating furiously with each other: after which they frequently return to the identical sprigs from which they each ascended.

"The Purple Emperor commences his aërial movements from ten till twelve o'clock in the morning, but does not perform his loftiest flights till noon; decreasing them, after this hour, until he ceases to fly, about four in the afternoon."

The females, like those of many other species, are rarely seen on wing. The reason of this is their being destitute of a certain spiral socket, which the males possess, near the base of the main tendon of their upper wings. This socket receives and works a strong elastic spring, which rises from the base of the under wings, and thereby enables them to perform a stronger, longer, and more easy flight than it is possible for the females to do.

The males, as before stated, usually fly very high, and are only to be caught by means of a bag-net, fixed to the end of a rod twenty or thirty feet long. There have been instances, though they are rare, of their settling on the ground near puddles of water, and being taken there. When the Purple Emperor is within reach, no insect is more easily caught; for he is so bold and fearless, that he will not move from his settling place, until quite pushed off.

The caterpillar is green, with oblique white lines.

It is rough on the upper part of the body; and on the head there are two spines. It feeds on the oak. The chrysalis is green, has two horns, and is somewhat compressed.

THE PEACOCK BUTTERFLY*.

The caterpillars of this Butterfly are produced from eggs, which have been deposited in the spring of the year on the nettle. They live in society, and are to be found, throughout the early part of the summer, feeding on this plant. They are black, and their bodies are covered with spines, and marked with numerous small white specks.

Shortly after the little animals first see the light, they begin to spin for themselves a large and commodious web, into which they flee for shelter during rainy weather, and in the night; and under the protection of which they change their skins.

When they have attained their full growth, they seek out some proper place where they can safely take their chrysalid form. In doing this they suspend themselves vertically, with the head downward; and the chrysalis, thus suspended, continues for about twenty days, about the end of which time the insect becomes perfected, breaks out from its shell, and flies away.

In the south of England the Peacock Butterfly is sufficiently common; but it is extremely rare in the north. In the county of York it is not known to have been more than twice caught. During the winter it conceals itself, and it does not die until after it has deposited its eggs in the ensuing spring.

DESCRIPTION. The wings are angular and indented, of a brownish red colour, with black spots. There is a large blue eye-like spot on each; and on each of the upper wings there are two black spots.

SYNON Y MS. Jour. Tigny.

Papilio Io. Linn.—Le Papillon Paon du

THE MARSH FRITTILLARY*.

The caterpillars of this insect are to be seen, in some particular situations, in September, in great abundance. They keep together under the cover of a fine web, which they spin to defend themselves from the inclemency of the weather; and under the protection of this, they pass the winter months. During this time they are so nearly reduced to a torpid state, as to require no food, nor do they venture out of their general covering, till they are invited by the warmth of the spring. As they afterwards increase in size, they go abroad in search of food; but their local attachment is very remarkable; for neither the caterpillar, nor even the butterfly, will stray far from the place where it was bred. Numbers of the latter may sometimes be observed on wing, in a small spot of swampy or marsh land, when not one of them is to be met with in any of the adjacent places. As they fly very low, and frequently settle, the naturalist has no difficulty in catching them. The caterpillars are generally at their full growth about the last week in April. They now suspend themselves by the tail to change into chrysalids, and in this state they remain about fourteen days. Their mode of suspension is a singular instance of the extraordinary power of instinct. They first draw two or three small blades of grass across towards their top, and fasten them together by means of their silk; then hang them

* DESCRIPTION. The Marsh Fritillary is a small butterfly, not measuring more than an inch and a half across the broadest part of its expanded wings. Its colour is a brownish orange, variegated with yellow and black, in a small pattern. The under sides of the wings are lighter, and chiefly orange and yellow. It is sometimes called Greasy or Dishclout Frittillary, from these under sides having always a greasy appear

ance.

SYNONYMS. Papilio artemis. Fabricius.-Greasy Fritil lary, or Dishclout. Harris. Haworth, Marsh Fritillary.

Lewin.

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