THE BRITISH BUTTERFLIES SEPARATELY DESCRIBED.
THE SWALLOW-TAILED BUTTERFLY. (_Papilio Machaon._)
(Plate III. fig. 1.)
There is no possibility of mistaking this noble insect for any other of our
native species, after a glance at its portrait. Its superior size,
conjoined with the possession of a pair of _long_ tails on the hind wings,
would at once mark it distinctly, independently of the peculiar markings
and colour.
In the colouring of the wings, a broad simplicity prevails, the general
ground-tint being a clear creamy yellow, with the bars and marginal bands
of the deepest velvety black. The broad bands of black on the front wings
are powdered towards the centre with _yellow_ scales, and those on the hind
wings with _blue_ scales. The only other colour on this side is a spot of
rust-red at the inner angle of the hind wings.
The under side is very similar in colouring to the upper, but the black
markings are less decided and sharp, and there are several additional
rust-red spots on the hind wings. {64}
The _caterpillar_, which is a very handsome creature, is found feeding on
various umbelliferous plants; among which, its chief favourites in this
country appear to be the Wild Carrot (_Daucus Carota_), the Marsh
Milk-parsley (_Selinum palustre_), and Fennel (_Anethum Foeniculum_). In
colour it is bright green, with velvet-black rings, which are spotted with
red. A distinguishing mark of this caterpillar is a reddish-coloured forked
appendage just behind its head, which, when the animal is alarmed, gives
out a strong-scented fluid, supposed to be for the purpose of alarming some
of its enemies.
The _chrysalis_, again, is a very pretty object, especially when of its
ordinary colour, which is a lively green, shaded in some parts into bright
yellow; but there is a frequent variety marked only with various shades of
brown and buff. Living specimens of both of these are before me at this
moment, and when they assume the perfect state, I shall be curious to mark
whether these differences are continued in the respective butterflies.
These chrysalides are most interesting objects to keep during the winter
months. As the spring advances, the colours of the butterfly begin to
appear faintly through their thin green envelope, and the pattern of the
upper wings, which only are visible, becomes at last distinctly
perceptible, of course in miniature. When this is the case, we should begin
to watch for the release of the beautiful prisoner.
If you visit his cage the first thing every morning (for his exit most
frequently takes place in the early part of {65} the day), you may be
fortunate enough on one of these occasions, to find the creature either
actually emerging, or just out of his case; cutting an odd figure, and
evidently neither very proud of himself nor much at his ease, his wings
being tiny things, hardly bigger than those of a humble-bee, and hanging
limply from his comparatively ponderous and gigantic body; which they are
nevertheless destined, ere many hours are over, to carry with most enviable
celerity through the air.
The rapid increase in size of these organs is a matter of marvel; you can
literally see them grow, and within about an _hour_ they will have reached
their full expanse. The creature attaches itself, back downwards, to the
lid of its cage, or to the under side of any convenient _horizontal_
surface, that the wings, by their own weight, may aid in their dilatation,
and that they may dry without creasing, as they will sometimes do, when the
insect, being under a slippery bell-glass, for instance, is unable to reach
the desirable point of suspension, which it always evinces extreme anxiety
to do. By the time the sun is well out, our pet will have his wings
thoroughly plumed for flight; and here a difficulty sometimes presents
itself to the entomologist. What is to be done with our new-born Machaon?
It is probably a splendid specimen for the cabinet, and the collector may
long to grace his "series" with its virgin splendours. But then there will
creep over him the unwelcome sensation, that it is a somewhat cowardly
proceeding to foster a bright being into a life that might be all
joyousness, {66} and then, taking advantage of his domesticated position,
to cut short that life, almost ere commenced, and to forbid those wondrous
wings to carry their possessor to even one short day's enjoyment of
sunshine and nectar, and the doubtlessly exalted pleasure of mere airy
motion itself. Fairly chasing down a butterfly is all well enough; but this
is quite another thing.
Every one must, however, choose for himself, as to taking the sentimental
or the entomological view of the matter.
Each probably finds its followers, and to the occasional prevalence of the
more tender sentiment, are probably owing many of those stray Swallow-Tails
that turn up here and there in unlikely places.
The chrysalides, for rearing, may be obtained in the autumn or winter,
either from entomologists resident in the localities of the butterfly, or
more generally and certainly from the London or Cambridge dealers, who will
send them into the country by post for a few pence each.
The flight of this species is rapid and powerful, and it has a habit of
soaring loftily.
In this country its head quarters are in the fens of Cambridgeshire,
Norfolk, and Huntingdonshire. It has been found in some abundance near
Cambridge, Norwich, Yaxley, Whittlesea Mere, Burwell, and Hornsey Fens;
also singly in Lancashire, at Battersea, Pulborough in Sussex, near Ashford
in Kent, at Balcombe, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, near Chatham, at Southend,
Essex, and on the Cliffs of the South Coast. {67}
From its local character, this is of course one of the species that the
collector can hardly expect to meet with, except he live in one of the
districts given above as its head quarters. In these, however, it is
abundant enough, and the first sight of a number of these grand insects on
the wing must be enough to gladden the eye of any naturalist.
This butterfly comes out first in May, and is met with from that time till
August.
* * * * *
THE BRIMSTONE BUTTERFLY. (_Gonepteryx Rhamni._)
(Plate III. fig. 2.)
Though one of the commonest of our native butterflies, this, like
numberless other very common things, is also one of the loveliest, both in
the graceful outline of its wings, and in the lively hue that overspreads
their surface; charms the more to be appreciated, as this insect is one of
the few that do not wait for the full bloom of summer ere they condescend
to make their appearance, but in the earliest, chill months of spring, and
even in the dead winter season, the country rambler is sometimes gladdened
by its gay flight; and in fact there is not one winter month that is not
occasionally enlivened by this flying flower, when a day of unwonted
mildness and sunshine tempts it from its winter retreat. {68}
Until very recently it had always been stated by entomologists, that the
Brimstone Butterfly was "double-brooded" (a term meaning that it went
through _two whole cycles of existence_, from the _egg_ to the _perfect
insect_, in _one year_), one brood appearing in May, and the other in the
autumn.
But it is now established, on very satisfactory evidence, that _one brood
only is produced, and that, the autumnal one_. A considerable number of
these survive the winter in some place of concealment, and coming out again
in the spring form the so-called spring brood. Many of these hybernators
are found to be in very fair condition in the spring, but in general they
lack the perfect freshness and bloom of those taken in autumn; the wings of
those I have taken at this period are often semi-transparent, from having
lost feather, and frequently are spotted and discoloured, as if by mildew;
a sign probably of their owners having wintered in damp lodgings.
Mr. Douglas states that they get very fat and full of honey before
consigning themselves to their long winter's sleep; evidently an
instinctive provision against the waste of substance that must of necessity
accompany all, even the most sluggish vitality: in this respect following
the same instinct that leads bears, and other hybernating animals, to
fatten up to their utmost stretch before retiring for the season.
[Illustration: IX.]
{69} The _eggs_ should be sought for in the month of May, or a little
earlier or later, on the buds and young shoots of the two species of
Buckthorn (_Rhamnus Frangula_ and _R. Catharticus_). When examined with the
microscope, these are found to be very pretty objects of conical form, with
sculptured ribs on the sides.
The _caterpillar_ that results from these, when it grows up, is of a fine
green colour, shagreened over with black points, and shading off into a
paler line along the side. Its shape is represented at Plate I. fig. 2. It
is found on the _young_ buckthorn foliage that forms its food.
The _chrysalis_ is of the remarkable shape shown on Plate I. fig.
13,--green, marked with yellow. It remains in this state for about twenty
days, when the perfect butterfly appears.
The general colour of the male Brimstone Butterfly is a clear, brilliant
yellow, much like that of the Daffodil, its contemporary; and in the centre
of each wing is a small spot of rich orange-colour. A very beautiful
feature to be remarked in this butterfly is the silken mane, so to speak,
composed of long hairs of silvery gloss and whiteness, which are arranged
as if combed up from the sides of the thorax, so as to meet in a crested
form over the top.
The female chiefly differs from the male in the ground colour of the wings,
which are of a pale and very peculiar greenish white tint, rather more
deeply tinged with yellow at the extremities of the wings.
As the male, from his colour, bears the name of "Brimstone," or "Sulphur,"
the complexion of his mate may be accurately compared to the tint of
another {70} sulphureous preparation, called by druggists "milk of
sulphur."
The only noticeable variation this butterfly is subject to in this country
is in the size of the orange wing-spots, which are sometimes greatly
enlarged.
In a well-marked variety, common in the south of Europe, Madeira, &c., this
enlargement reaches a great development, nearly the whole of the _upper_
wings being suffused with a deep orange, though in all other respects the
insect does not differ from our common form. This beautiful variety has
been described as a different species under the name of _Gonepteryx
Cleopatra_; but M. Boisduval has proved that they are identical, by rearing
both the ordinary _Rhamni_ and the _Cleopatra_ from the same batch of eggs.
The female _Cleopatra_ does not differ materially from _Rhamni_. I look on
this variety as very interesting, as a probable instance of the direct
effect of increased warmth of climate in intensifying colour.[9]
Plentiful as this butterfly is in all the southern counties, and extending
in more or less abundance as {71} far northwards as the lake district, it
there becomes scarce; and I can find no instance of its having occurred in
Scotland.
Of course, its prevalence in any district is naturally regulated by the
abundance of its food-plants, the buckthorns.
Gardens, fields, and lanes are equally the resort of this favourite insect;
and there the newly-hatched specimens are to be found on the wing from
August to October.
* * * * *
THE CLOUDED YELLOW, OR CLOUDED SAFFRON. (_Colias Edusa._)
(Plate III. fig. 3, Male; 3A, Female.)
This richly-coloured and nimble-winged fly is ever the darling of the
collector. None make a finer show in the cabinet, and few tempt pursuit
more strongly than does this golden beauty when on the wing.
For many years past, and up to quite a recent period, the appearance of
this butterfly in any abundance was a phenomenon only occurring at
uncertain periods, separated by intervals of several years. In one season,
perhaps, hardly a solitary specimen would be seen, and in the very next, a
swarm of them would spread over the southern counties, delighting the
fly-catcher and puzzling the naturalist to find a sufficient reason for
{72} this sudden burst of insect-life. Whether the eggs lay dormant for
years, till hatched under peculiarly favourable conditions; or whether
every now and then a few individuals were tempted to cross the Channel from
the Continent by some attraction unknown to us, or were, _nolens_,
_volens_, blown hither by the wind, and then deposited eggs which produced
the next year's troop of butterflies; or, lastly, whether an agency was at
work here, of whose nature we are entirely ignorant,--all these are
questions that still remain to be answered. There is, I believe, no
foundation for the opinion sometimes held by entomologists, that this
species prevails at _regular_ periods, such as once in four, or once in
seven years. In fact, for the last two or three years its permanent
residence and appearance among us seems to be established, while, at the
same time, its northward range has been greatly extended, a considerable
number having been taken even _in Scotland_--its existence in that country
having been previously quite unheard of.
The environs of London, especially on the south side, have been abundantly
visited by this charming insect; but its tastes have a decidedly maritime
tendency, and we find it has a marked preference for the _South Coast_;
abounding, again, more especially towards the eastern end. Its favourite
resorts are clover and lucerne fields, though dry flowery meadows, open
downs, and the sides of railway-banks are also the scenes of its lively
flight--for _Edusa_ has indeed a lively flight, and his pursuer has need of
the "seven-league boots," with the hand of {73} Mercury, to insure success
in the fair open race, if that can be called a fair race at all, between a
heavy biped, struggling and perspiring about a slippery hill-side, such as
_Edusa_ loves,--and a winged spirit of air, to whom up-hill and down-hill
seem all one.
In truth, the best way to get _Edusa_ is to watch and mark him down on a
flower, then creep cautiously up till within range, raise the net quietly,
and _strike rapidly downwards_ over the insect, who usually darts _upward_
when struck at; and, in nine cases out of ten, _Edusa_ will be fluttering
under the net. It is not the most heroic style of sport, this, but it fills
the boxes admirably.
The _caterpillar_ is of a deep green colour, having on each side a white
line, marked with yellow and orange. It may be sought for in June and July,
on various plants of the leguminous order, which form its food, such as
None-such Trefoil (_Medicago lupulina_), Lucerne (_M. Sativa_), and Clover.
The _chrysalis_ is in shape between that of the Brimstone, and Cabbage
butterfly, green with a yellow stripe, and rust-coloured dots.
The _butterfly_ seldom is seen on the wing till July, but August is its
great season; and it lingers with us till late in autumn.
I remember the pleasure with which, on a chill, stormy day in October, I
watched the sports of a pair who were my sole companions while sketching,
in a remote, rocky nook of the South Welsh coast. Very {74} battered and
weather-worn were the pretty creatures, but still retaining much of the
golden bloom of their summer dress.
The Clouded Yellow has been found hybernating in the chink of an old wall
at the end of February, but I am not aware of its coming out again in the
spring, like the Brimstone.
The ground tint of the wings is an exceedingly rich orange-yellow, or
saffron colour, surrounded by a border of very dark brown, sometimes nearly
black. This border is marked, in the male, with thin yellow _lines_, and in
the female with _paler yellow spots_. There is a beautiful rose tint in the
fringe of the wings and on their front edge. Underneath the wings are paler
yellow, taking a citron hue in some parts, and marked with black and brown;
in the centre of the under wings is a brown-circled silvery spot.
There is a peculiar and constant _variety of the female_, in which all the
yellow portion of the upper surface is replaced by a _greenish white_ tint;
but in every other respect the insect agrees with the common form of
_Edusa_. This interesting variety was formerly ranked as another species,
under the name of _C. Helice_; but it is a curious fact that no
corresponding variety of the male has ever been observed; and last year I
captured a pair together--a white female and common orange male--who were
on those terms of tender intimacy which are generally supposed to betoken
identity of species. {75}
Varieties of the female are also met with, of various intermediate shades
of colour between the white and the ordinary orange.
Yet is it not possible that all these varieties may be mules between _C.
Edusa_ and _C. Hyale_ (the next species), the males of which are often seen
pursuing the lady _Edusas_? but if so, as indeed it would be on any other
hypothesis, it is hard to account for the unvarying character of the male.
This butterfly is also called the Clouded Saffron.
* * * * *
THE CLOUDED SULPHUR, OR PALE CLOUDED YELLOW BUTTERFLY. (_Colias Hyale._)
(Plate III. fig. 4.)
We may, in general, readily distinguish this elegant insect from the last
species--the females of which it rather resembles in its markings--by the
difference in the ground tint of the wings, which in this vary from
primrose or sulphur yellow to a greenish white.
There is, however, some risk of confounding this with the white variety of
_Edusa_ (_Helice_), a mistake often committed by young entomologists; so it
will be well to point out the most prominent distinction between the two;
and this is easily done, by observing that in _Edusa_ the dark border of
the upper wings is of nearly {76} equal breadth along the whole of the
outer margin, and _at the lower corner is continued inwards for a short
distance_; whilst in _Hyale_ this border _narrows rapidly, and disappears
before reaching the lower corner of_ the wing. Also the dark border of the
hind wings is much broader in _Edusa_ than in _Hyale_. Here we have
distinctive marks, quite independent of the ground colour of the wings.
The sexes of this butterfly are nearly alike in their markings, the chief
difference being in the yellower ground tint of the males.
The same localities--viz. the south and south-east coast, and the adjacent
district--that are most prolific in its near relative, _Edusa_, likewise
furnish this species in the greatest plenty; but this is by far the rarer
species of the two, and, either by coincidence, or in obedience to some
direct law, several successive periods of its abundance have been
septennial, or have occurred once in seven years. Thus the years 1821, '28,
'35, '42, '49, and '56 are noted in entomological records as having
produced it in great numbers.
On the coast of France, opposite to our own, it is one of the common
butterflies, and it is not improbable that it frequently makes the passage
of the Channel. The maritime habits of both this and _Edusa_ are well
known, and I have frequently seen the latter flying out to seawards, and
coquetting with the waves, till the eye could follow the golden speck no
longer. Taking advantage then of a favouring wind, its naturally strong
{77} and rapid flight would quickly take it across the few miles of sea
that separate us from the Gallic shore.
_Hyale_, whose flight is at least as strong as _Edusa's_, and whose
salt-water tastes are similar, doubtless acts in the same manner.
The northward range of this species is more limited than that of _Edusa_,
but it has been taken singly near York, Manchester, and a few other
northern localities. In the lucerne fields near Brighton, a dozen or more
have been sometimes captured in one day.
The _caterpillar_ is of a sea-green colour, with four yellow lines, two
along the back and one on each side; and is to be found, in June and July,
feeding on lucerne and other plants of the same natural order.
The _chrysalis_ is very similar to that of _Edusa_, green, with a yellow
stripe.
In this country, the _butterfly_ first appears in August; but on the
Continent it seems to be double-brooded, being found in May as well as in
August.
* * * * *
THE BLACK-VEINED OR HAWTHORN BUTTERFLY. (_Aporia Cratægi._)
(Plate IV. fig. 1.)
When on the wing, this species might easily be mistaken by the
inexperienced for the common Cabbage {78} White; and, by virtue of this
_incognito_, does in all probability often escape from the terrors of the
net, which would speedily entrap him, were his real character known to the
young hunter; for this butterfly is one of those called, in entomological
slang, "_a good thing_"--a term expressive neither of superior excellence
nor beauty, but meaning that the insect can't be met with everywhere, or
every day, and when seen is always to be caught.
A closer view, however, shows it to be very distinct from all the other
"Whites;" its _decided black veinings on a milk-white ground_, in
conjunction with its large size, being sufficient for its immediate
recognition.
The outline of the wings, as well as the play of the veining lines on their
surface, is extremely elegant. It will be observed, that instead of the
feathered fringe that surrounds the wings of most butterflies, they are
bordered in this species by a stout nervure, forming a sharp black outline,
and giving a peculiarly chaste finish.
The under side differs in no mentionable respect from the upper--a very
rare circumstance in this tribe. From being very sparingly coated with
scales, the wings are semi-transparent, differing much in this respect from
those of the Garden White butterflies.
The female generally has the veins of the fore wings of a browner tint than
in the males.
This butterfly is one of the very local species, though its food plants are
everywhere to be found, in more or less abundance. {79}
The following localities, among others, have been recorded as producing
it:--Herne Bay, and other parts of the Isle of Thanet, plentifully; near
Faversham, Kent; Horsham, Sussex; New Forest; Brington, in Huntingdonshire;
near Cardiff, South Wales, plentiful.
The caterpillars are gregarious, feeding under cover of a silken web. The
hawthorn and the sloe are its chief food plants in this country, but it is
here too rare an insect to do much damage. Not so, however, on the
Continent, where it is extremely common, and is classed among noxious
insects, committing great devastation among various fruit trees, especially
the apple, pear, and cherry.
But even in this country the insect is occasionally met with in great
profusion, but only in isolated spots. Mr. Drane, writing from Cardiff to
the _Zoologist_, says, "In the middle of April (1858) I found the _larvæ_
feeding by thousands upon insulated shrubs of _Prunus Spinosa_ (Common
Sloe), eating out the centres of the unexpanded buds, or basking in the sun
upon their winter webs."
The body of the adult _caterpillar_ is thickly clothed with whitish hairs,
is leaden grey on the side and underneath, black on the back, and marked
with two longitudinal reddish stripes. Found from the middle of April to
the end of May.
The _chrysalis_, shown at fig. 14, Plate I., is greenish white, striped
with yellow and spotted with black.
The _butterfly_ appears in June.
* * * * *
{80}
THE LARGE GARDEN WHITE BUTTERFLY (_Pieris Brassicæ._)
(Plate IV. fig. 2.)
Why this butterfly should so far outnumber every other native species
(excepting, perhaps, the more rural Meadow Brown), is a question beyond our
power to answer satisfactorily. Certainly, the food plants of the
caterpillar--cabbages, cresses, and their tribe--are universally met with;
but then we find there are other insects whose food plant is equally
plentiful and widespread, and yet they are nevertheless very rare or local.
This is pre-eminently the domestic butterfly, abounding in suburban
gardens, and at times penetrating into the smoky heart of London, and then
even the young "St. Giles's bird," whose eyes were never gladdened by green
fields, gets up a butterfly hunt, and, cap (or rag) in hand, feels for the
nonce all the enthusiasm of the chase in pursuit of the white-winged
wanderer, who looks sadly lost and out of place in the flowerless,
brick-and-mortar wilderness.
This and the next species are the only British butterflies who can be
charged with committing any appreciable amount of damage to human food and
property. In the winged state, indeed, it is utterly harmless (like all
other butterflies); but not so the hungry caterpillar progeny, as the
gardener knows too well when he looks {81} at his choice cabbage rows all
gnawed away into skeletons.
In some seasons and places they multiply so inordinately and prodigiously
as to deserve the title of a plague of caterpillars, and several remarkable
instances of this phenomenon are on record.
A note in the _Zoologist_, p. 4547, by the Rev. Arthur Hussey, gives us the
following:--"For the last two summers many of the gardens of this village
have been infested by caterpillars to such an extent that the cabbages have
been utterly destroyed." When the time for changing to the chrysalis state
arrived, the surrounding buildings presented a curious appearance, being
marked with long lines of the creatures travelling up the walls in search
of a suitable place of shelter for undergoing their transformation. A great
number of the caterpillars took refuge in a malt-house, from which they
could not escape as butterflies, the result being that for several weeks
the maltster swept up daily many hundreds of the dead insects.
In 1842, a vast flight of white butterflies came over from the Continent to
the coast about Dover, and spreading inland from thence, did an immense
amount of damage to the cabbage gardens; but so effectually did the
ichneumon flies do their work, that an exceedingly small proportion of the
caterpillars, resulting from this flock of immigrants, went into the
chrysalis state, nearly all perishing just before the period of change.
Those small, silky, oval objects, of yellowish colour, {82} frequently
found in groups on walls and palings, are the _cocoons_ of these useful
little flies, spun round about and over the remains of the dead caterpillar
their victim. "These," as Mr. Westwood observes, "ignorant persons mistake
for the eggs of the caterpillar, and destroy; thus foolishly killing their
benefactors."
Happily these devastating caterpillars have plenty of enemies to prevent
their continued multiplication, and to reduce their number speedily when it
exceeds certain limits. Besides the ichneumons, mentioned above, the
feathered tribes do much towards keeping them down. Mr. Haworth, in his
"_Lepidoptera Britannica_," says, with reference to this: "Small birds
destroy incredible numbers of them as food, and should be encouraged. I
once observed a titmouse (_Parus major_) take five or six large ones to its
nest in a very few minutes. In enclosed gardens sea-gulls, with their wings
cut, are of infinite service. I had one eight years, which was at last
killed by accident, that lived entirely all the while upon the insects,
slugs, and worms which he found in the garden."
The pretty _egg_ of this butterfly is figured on Plate II. fig. 1: it may
be found commonly enough, with a little searching, on cabbage-leaves,
either at the end of May or beginning of August.
The _caterpillar_, which, besides cabbages, consumes various other
cruciferous plants,--also Tropæolums, or, as they are erroneously called,
"Nasturtiums,"--is green, {83} shaded with yellow on each side, and covered
with black points, on each of which is situated a hair.
By way of compensation for the damage it inflicts, it has been suggested
that a durable green dye might be extracted from the caterpillars of
cabbage butterflies, since it is extremely difficult to eradicate the stain
made by a crushed caterpillar on linen. If this strange and novel dye
should ever take its place among the vagaries of fashion, the shopkeepers
could find a familiar French name, as the word _chenille_, applied to
another commodity, means simply "caterpillar," so "_chenille green_" would
be the phrase for the colour afforded by smashed caterpillars.
The _chrysalis_ (Plate I. fig. 15) may be found almost anywhere, laid up
under ledges of garden walls, doorway, or any convenient projection, not
too far from the creature's food. Wanting an individual just now, to sit
for his portrait, I had only to step out of my door, and within a hundred
yards espied a candidate for the distinction, ready to hand, under the
coping-stone of a gate-post.
A _female_ specimen of the butterfly is figured on Plate IV. fig. 2. The
_male_ may be readily distinguished by the _absence of the black spots and
dashes on the upper side of the front wings_.
The winged insect may be seen throughout the warm season from April to
August.
* * * * *
{84}
THE SMALL GARDEN WHITE. (_Pieris Rapæ._)
(Plate IV. fig. 3.)
Outwardly resembling the last in almost every respect but that of its
inferior size, this species shares the gardener's malediction with its
larger, but perhaps less destructive, relative; for the caterpillar of
_Rapæ_, though smaller, bores into the very heart of the cabbage, instead
of being content with the less valuable outer leaves, as _Brassicæ_ is.
From this pernicious habit the French call this grub the _ver du coeur_.
The colour of this _caterpillar_ is pale green, with a yellow line along
the back, and a dotted one of the same colour on each side.
The _chrysalis_ is nearly like that of the last in shape, but of course
smaller, and is of a more uniform brownish or yellowish tint.
[Illustration: X.]
{85} This butterfly occasionally multiplies immensely, and is given to
migrating in vast armies to distant settlements, sometimes crossing the sea
to effect this purpose. Here is an extract from a Kentish newspaper,
describing an occurrence of this phenomenon:--
"One of the largest flights of butterflies ever seen in this country,
crossed the Channel from France to England on Sunday last. Such was the
density and extent of the cloud formed by the living mass, that it
completely obscured the sun from the people on board our Continental
steamers, on their passage, for many hundreds of yards, while the insects
strewed the decks in all directions. The flight reached England about
twelve o'clock at noon, and dispersed themselves inland and along shore,
darkening the air as they went. During the sea-passage of the butterflies,
the weather was calm and sunny, with scarce a puff of wind stirring; but an
hour or so after they reached _terra firma_, it came on to blow great guns
from the S. W., the direction whence the insects came."
A contemporary account states that these were the small white butterflies
(_Pieris Rapæ_).
The smaller butterfly with more dusky markings, formerly known as _P.
Metra_, has been recently proved to be merely a variety of _Rapæ_, a Mr. J.
F. Dawson having reared a brood of caterpillars all _exactly similar_ in
appearance, which eventually produced every variety of _P. Rapæ_ and _P.
Metra_.
Mr. Curtis, in his "Farm Insects," mentions the capture, near Oldham in
Lancashire, of a male specimen, which had all the wings of a _bright
yellow_ colour.
Most juvenile butterfly hunters, unblest by scientific knowledge of insect
life, imagine that this and the last owe their difference in size simply to
their being old and young individuals of the same name; forgetting--or,
rather, never having heard--that butterflies never grow in the slightest
degree after once getting their winged form; only as caterpillars do they
grow. {86}
The male is distinguished from the female by having only _one round black
spot_, or sometimes none, on each _upper_ wing, whilst the female is
spotted as in the engraving. The under side of the hind wings is dull
yellow, lightly powdered with black scales.
The _butterfly_ is seen during nearly the whole of the summer, and is found
almost everywhere.
* * * * *
THE GREEN-VEINED WHITE BUTTERFLY. (_Pieris Napi._)
(Plate IV. fig. 4.)
Is so called from the greenish tint that _often_ borders the veins or
nervures on the _under_ side of the _hind_ wing; but the name is _not
always_ an appropriate one, for a large proportion of the specimens met
with have the veinings grey, and not at all green; but the fact is, that
the ground colour varies greatly, from creamy white to full buff, or bright
clear yellow; in the latter case it is, that the minute black scales which
border the course of the nervures, covering over the yellow, produce a
grey-green effect on the eye.
The size also is very variable. I have a specimen that expands two inches
and two lines across, from tip to tip, and have seen another not larger
than a small Copper butterfly--little more than one inch from tip {87} to
tip. The intensity of the dark markings, on both the upper and under sides,
is also subject to much variation.
But, under all these circumstances, the presence of dark cloudy veins on
the under side--appearing, but less distinctly, on the upper side--will at
once distinguish it from the last species, the only one with which it can
possibly be confounded.
The _male_ has only _one round spot_ on the _front_ wings; the _female_
being marked as in the plate.
Both in woods and cultivated grounds we meet with this butterfly commonly
enough, most abundantly in May and July, though it may be found from April
to August.
The _caterpillar_ feeds on the same tribe of plants as the two last, but is
supposed to be especially attached to the Rape (_Brassica Napus_), whence
its specific name. Its colour is green, with yellow spots round each
spiracle, which is itself tinged with red.
Two varieties of this were formerly ranked as distinct species, under the
name of _P. Sabellicæ_ and _P. Napæ_.
* * * * *
{88}
THE BATH WHITE. (_Pieris Daplidice._)
(Plate IV. fig. 5, Female.)
Of all the members of this white-winged genus that inhabit Britain, this is
at the same time the most beautiful and the rarest. The capture of a Bath
White is an entomological "event," and the day thereof is a red-letter day
in the fortunate captor's life.
On the opposite coast of France, however, and generally on the Continent,
far from being a rarity, this is one of the commonest butterflies--a fact
difficult for an English collector, removed by only a few miles of sea, to
realise, or reconcile with the _extravagant_ value and importance attached
to a true "British specimen."
The remark made under the head of the Black-veined White, as to that
eluding the net of the novice, by its resemblance to a common kind, will
apply with still greater force to this one; for I suppose there are few
even of the tolerably experienced "hands" who could tell this from the two
last described insects, at a short distance. One curious circumstance
bearing on this is, that a large per centage of the Bath White captures in
this country have been made by juvenile beginners, who hunt and catch
_everything_ they see, Common Whites and all. {89}
This fact should encourage the collector, especially when at work on the
south-east coast, to net all the middle-sized Whites that come within
reasonable distance--of course letting them off again, if they are not of
the right sort.
The wing markings on both the upper and under sides are, though simple,
extremely elegant and chaste. The _female_, which is the sex figured, has
the upper wings beautifully spotted with black. The hind wings are bordered
with a _row of black spots_, and clouded towards the centre with a faint
tint of the same.
The male is distinguished by the absence of the black spot nearest to the
lower margin of the front wing, and of the black marginal spots and grey
clouding of the hind wings. The markings of the under surface, however,
show through their substance rather plainly.
In both sexes, the ground colour of the wings is milk-white. But the chief
decoration is reserved for the under surface, which is chequered, in a
manner not easily described, with a soft but rich green tint upon white,
relieved here and there by a few black touches.
We are informed by Lewin, that it was named the Bath White from a piece of
needlework executed at Bath, by a young lady, from a specimen of this
insect, said to have been taken near that city. But the south-eastern
corner of England, and more especially on the coast, seems to be the
head-quarters of this valued fly,--lending probability to the supposition
entertained {90} by many, that a large proportion of those taken here have
migrated or been blown across the Channel; though I believe it sometimes
breeds here, and that the caterpillars have, on one or two occasions, been
found in this country.
The butterfly has been taken several times at Dover, Margate, and other
places on the Kentish coast; at Lewes; Whittlesea Mere, Cambridge;
Worcester, and near Bristol.
The _caterpillar_, which is to be found in June and September, is bluish
with black spots, a pale yellow line on each side, and two of the same
colour on the back. M. Le Plastrier reared a number of them, feeding them
on the leaves of the Wild Mignonette (_Reseda lutea_). It also feeds on
Weld (_Reseda Luteola_).
The _chrysalis_ very much resembles that of the Small Garden White, and is
totally unlike that of the next, the Orange-Tip, with which it has been by
some entomologist united into another genus (_Manicipium_).
_Daplidice_ is a slow insect--slower than the Common Whites--and it is an
easy matter to catch it, when recognized, which the peculiarly heavy flight
might aid one in doing.
May and August are the months in which to look after this gem of the
_Pontia_ genus.
* * * * *
{91}
THE ORANGE-TIP BUTTERFLY. (_Euchloë Cardamines._)
(Plate V. fig. 1, Male; 1_a_, Female.)
Few vernal ramblers in the country, whether entomological or no, can fail
to have noticed, and been charmed by, this merry blossom-like insect, as it
gaily flits along by hedge-row and wood-side, pausing anon to taste its own
sweet flowers of May, and looking, even when on the wing, so unlike any
other of our native butterflies. Truly it is an exquisite and loveable
little creature, this Orange-Tip--sometimes styled the Wood Lady; but this
latter title is somewhat awkward in its application, inasmuch as the
"_lady_" insect is entirely without the characteristic _orange_ adornment,
and would hardly be suspected as being the same species with her handsome
lord.
The _male Orange-Tip_ needs no description, for the purpose of recognition,
beyond that conveyed by his name; but as the _female_ is less known, and
has been on several occasions mistaken for the rare Bath White
(_Daplidice_), it will be well to point out her chief distinguishing
characters. The difference between the two insects certainly is obvious
enough, when the two are _seen_ together, but their written descriptions
read rather alike. {92}
The female _Cardamines_ has the wings white _above_, with a greyish black
tip, and a _small oval_, or _crescent-shaped black spot_ (much smaller than
that of Daplidice) near the _centre_ of the front wings; _beneath_, a white
ground, with green marblings, that are much more sharply defined than those
in _Daplidice_. Near the centre of the front wing is a _clear black spot_,
corresponding in position with that on the upper surface, _and not shaded
off with green, as in Daplidice_.
We speak of the _green_ marblings of this species--and, to the naked eye,
they do appear to be of quite a bright green--but under a microscope or
powerful lens that colour disappears, being resolved into a combination of
bright yellow and pure black scales, which, with the dazzling snow-white
ground scales that surround them, form a microscopic tableau of
extraordinary beauty. This can, however, only be seen by daylight, for
under artificial light the yellow, on which the whole effect depends, is
entirely lost.
The _caterpillar_ is slightly hairy, and green, with a white stripe on each
side. It has been generally stated that the _Cardamine impatiens_ is the
common food plant of this species, _apropos_ of which I will quote the
following communication from Mr. Doubleday to the editor of the
_Zoologist_:--
"In reply to your query about the food of the larva of _Cardamines_, I may
say that I have found it upon several plants. I believe that _Cardamine
pratensis_ (common cuckoo-flower) is the one on which the eggs {93} are
most frequently deposited, but the greater part of the _larvæ_ must perish
in this neighbourhood, because the fields are mowed before the larvæ are
full-grown. I have very often seen the larvæ on the seed-pods of _Erysimum
Alliaria_, and have several times found the _pupæ_ on the dead stems of
this plant in winter; I think that it is the principal food of Cardamines
at Epping; it also probably feeds on _E. barbarea_, and other similar
plants. Some years ago we used to have a quantity of a large single rocket
in the garden, and there was always a number of the larvæ of _Cardamines_
feeding on the seed-pods. _Cardamine impatiens_ is so local a plant _that
it cannot be the common food of the larvæ of Cardamines_."
The _chrysalis_ is of the very singular shape shown at fig. 17, Plate I., a
shape quite unique among British butterflies, though that of the next
slightly approaches it. It is to be looked for in autumn and winter on the
dry, dead stems of the plants named in the foregoing paragraph.
The perfect butterfly, which is very common throughout the country, is met
with from the end of April to the end of May or beginning of June.
* * * * *
{94}
THE WOOD-WHITE BUTTERFLY. (_Leucophasia Sinapis._)
(Plate V. fig. 2.)
A glance at the figure of this graceful little butterfly (on Plate V.) will
suffice to distinguish it at once, and clearly, from all our other Whites.
The most ordinary form of the insect is there represented, but there are
specimens occasionally met with that have the blackish spot at the tip of
the wings very much fainter; and sometimes, as in one that I possess, this
spot is totally wanting. The shape of the wings in these is also different,
being much rounder, and proportionately shorter, than in the ordinary
shape. This difference in outline is, I believe, a sexual distinction, the
more rounded form belonging to the female insect.
The slender, fragile wings and the attenuated body of the Wood-white give
it a look of almost ghostly lightness, and its manners befit its spectral
aspect, for it seems to _haunt_ the still and lonely wood glades, flitting
about slowly and restlessly, and being seldom seen to settle.
From its weak flight, it is a very easy insect to capture. It appears to be
addicted to early rising, _twenty-six_ specimens having been taken _one
morning before breakfast_ by a gentleman at Grange, in North Lancashire.
{95}
The _caterpillar_ is green, striped on each side with yellow; it feeds on
the Bird's-foot Trefoil, and other leguminous plants.
The _chrysalis_ is shown on Plate I. fig. 18, and in shape somewhat
approaches that of the Orange-tip.
The _butterfly_ appears in May and August, and though by no means a common
or generally distributed insect, is found--and sometimes abundantly--in
many localities throughout the country, as far north as Carlisle; some of
these are here given. Woods in neighbourhood of Brighton, Horsham (Sussex),
Dorchester, New Forest, Exeter, Epping, West Wickham Wood, Monkswood,
Huntingdonshire, Plymouth, Wavendon, Worcester, Kent and Surrey,
Teignmouth, Gloucestershire, Carlisle, Lake District, Leicester,
Manchester, North Lancashire. _Unknown in Scotland._
* * * * *
THE MARBLED WHITE BUTTERFLY. (_Arge Galathea._)
(Plate V. fig. 3.)
This highly interesting and elegant insect would, by the uninitiated,
probably be classed among the last group of Butterflies--the Whites--from
the similarity in its colours; but from all those it may be readily
distinguished by having _only four walking legs_ (instead of the _six_
which all our other white butterflies possess), {96} and also by the
_eye-like_ spots most visible on the under side.
The colouring may be described as consisting of nearly equal quantities of
_black_ and _creamy-white_, or _pale yellow_, so arranged as to form a
_marbled_ pattern of great richness. This description applies to the upper
surface; on the under, the pale tint very much preponderates, many of the
black masses of the upper side being here reduced to mere lines.
Many an entomologist, whose hunting ground has been limited to a small
district, has collected for years without once seeing this pretty creature
on the wing; and then visiting another neighbourhood, perhaps not far
distant, he will suddenly find it in profusion. I well remember the
feelings of surprised delight with which, under these circumstances, I
first made its acquaintance. The scene of the event was a grassy opening in
a wooded hill-side in Kent, and here were literally hundreds visible at
once, making the air all alive as they fluttered about in sportive groups:
it was a sight not to be forgotten; while a hundred yards from this spot
not a solitary one was to be seen, so closely limited is the local range of
this species.
The _caterpillar_, which feeds on grasses, like the rest of its tribe, is
green, with yellowish stripes on each side, and has a reddish head and
tail. The form is shown at fig. 3, Plate I.--a form common to all the tribe
to which this species belongs.
July and August are the months when we should {97} look for this charming
butterfly, in wood clearings and meadows near woods.
Some of the localities in which it has been observed are: Isle of Wight,
Surrey Hills, Eastwell Park (Kent), Dover, Lewes, Brighton, Epping,
Gloucestershire, Kingsbury, Darenth Wood, New Forest, Rockingham Park,
Teignmouth, York, Barnwell Wold, South Wales. _Not known in Scotland._
* * * * *
THE SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY. (_Lasiommata Egeria._)
(Plate V. fig. 4.)
Every one who has wandered through green woodland ridings, or coppiced
paths, must be familiar with a lively, spotted brown insect that trips
along just ahead of one, in a sociable way, for some distance, finding time
to turn aside into the leafy recesses on either side without losing ground;
then, having had enough of our company, mounting overhead, and retracing
its course in the same playful way, and soon lost in the winding of the
path.
This is the Speckled Wood, or Wood Argus Butterfly, a very pretty insect on
both sides, and receiving the latter name--Argus, "the many-eyed"--from the
rows of rich black _eyes_ that grace its pinions. {98}
Over nearly the whole of England it is to be met with commonly wherever
there is wooded ground; but in several parts of Scotland it is quite
unknown.
The prevailing colour of the wings is deep brown, spotted with various
shades of buff or lighter brown. The "eyes" are velvety black, with a pure
white centre-spot.
The _caterpillar_--a grass feeder--is dull green, with broad white side
stripes.
The _chrysalis_, which is of a beautiful grass-green colour, may be found
in winter, under trees, attached to blades of grass.
The _butterfly_ is out from April to August.
* * * * *
THE WALL BUTTERFLY. (_Lasiommata Megæra._)
(Plate V. fig. 5.)
The habits and movements of this pretty species much resemble those of the
last; but the Wall Butterfly is a more sun-loving insect, and rather
frequents road-sides and dry sunny banks. Still, there are many spots where
one sees both the _Lasiommatas_ together.
The colours on the upper side are a _rich tawny or fulvous ground_, with
_dark-brown markings_, and pure {99} black eye-spots. The under side of the
hind wings is pencilled with sober colours, but in a design of great beauty
and delicacy; and especially to be admired are the double-ringed "eyes," a
band of which runs parallel with the outer margin of the hind wings.
The _caterpillar_ feeds on grasses; is green, with three pale lines down
the back, and one more clearly marked on each side.
The _butterfly_ appears in May, and again in August and September; and is
everywhere common throughout the country.
It is called the Wall Butterfly from its frequent habit of choosing a
road-side _wall_ for a perch, whence, on the approach of man, it darts off;
returning again, however, on the departure of the obnoxious person.
* * * * *
THE GRAYLING BUTTERFLY. (_Hipparchia Semele._)
(Plate V. fig. 6, Female.)
This fine insect is the largest _British_ species of the genus, and also of
the family, some of the females measuring two inches and three-quarters
from tip to tip across the expanded wings; and it also exhibits more
vivacity of colouring than most of its brethren.
Above, the wings are deep brown, marked with {100} broad patches of paler
colour, sometimes making a bright contrast in the female, but much duller
and more uniform in the male.
The female also exceeds her lord considerably in stature, and, in fact, by
her side he looks rather a mean and shabby fellow.
The device on the under side of the hind wings, though composed of the
plainest colours, is very ornamental; grey and brown are the prevailing
hues, disposed in mottled bars and stripes, reminding one of agates, or
some other ornamental stones.
This butterfly is not everywhere to be found, but haunts rocky places and
hill-sides, on a chalky or limestone soil. At St. Boniface's Down, in the
Isle of Wight, I noticed it in such exceeding profusion last August, that I
could quickly have caught thousands, had I been so disposed.
Though a powerful-looking insect, its flight is by no means swift, and it
suffers itself to be captured without difficulty.
The _caterpillar_ is dull pinkish about the back, with three obscure
grey-green stripes, a dark line on the sides, and greenish beneath. It
feeds on grasses, and has been said to undergo its transformation to the
chrysalis in the earth; but this point requires confirmation.
The _butterfly_ is seen from the middle of July till the beginning of
September.
The following are localities for it:--Bembridge and Ventnor (Isle of
Wight), Brighton, Lewes, New Forest, Exeter, Plymouth, Falmouth, Truro,
Bristol, Dorsetshire, Salisbury Plain, Winchester, Worcester, Newmarket,
Gamlingay, Isle of Arran, Arthur's Seat (Edinburgh), Durham, Darlington,
Glasgow, Lake District.
[Illustration: XI.]
{101}
THE MEADOW BROWN BUTTERFLY. (_Hipparchia Janira._)
(Plate VI. fig. 1, Male; 1_a_, Female.)
Perhaps of all our butterflies this is the least attractive, being too
common to excite interest from its rarity or difficulty of attainment, as
other dingy butterflies do, and too plain and homely to win regard, in
spite of its commonness, as the beautiful "Small Tortoise-shell" and the
Common Blues do.
This is the sober brown insect that keeps up a constant fluttering, in
sunshine and gloom, over the dry pasture land and barren hill-side; and
perhaps it ought to find favour in our eyes, from this very fact of keeping
up a cheerful spirit under circumstances the most unfavourable to butterfly
enjoyment in general.
The colouring of the _male_, on the upper side, may be described as a
_sooty brown_, rather lighter about the eye-spot on the front wing. {102}
The _female_ is a little smarter in her attire, having an orange-tawny
patch on the front wing.
Beneath, both sexes are nearly alike; the general colour of the front wing
being fulvous, or orange-brown, with a cool-brown margin. The hind wings
are marked with tints of a duller brown, varying much in distinctness in
different specimens.
The _caterpillar_ is green, with a white stripe on each side. Feeds on
grasses.
The _butterfly_ abounds almost everywhere, from June till the end of
August.
* * * * *
THE LARGE HEATH BUTTERFLY. (_Hipparchia Tithonus._)
(Plate VI. fig. 2, Male.)
Though much less abundant than the last, this is another very common
species, and met with throughout England and the _south_ of Scotland.
The ground tint above is a _rich rust-colour_, or _orange-brown, bordered
with dark-brown_; the base of the wings also slightly clouded with the
same; and on each front wing, near the tip, there is a _black eye-spot_,
with _two white_ dots. So far, both sexes are similar; but the _male_ has,
in addition, a _bar of dark-brown across the centre of the rust-coloured
space_, on the upper wing. This sex is that figured on the plate. {103}
Underneath, there is a pretty arrangement of subdued colouring; that of the
front wings nearly resembling the upper side; the lower wings clouded and
spotted with russet-brown on a paler brown ground, the _dark rounded brown
spots_ having _white_ centres; but there are _no black_ eye-spots on the
hind wings.
The _caterpillar_ is greenish-grey, with reddish head and two pale lines on
each side and a dark one down the back.
The _butterfly_, a feeble flier and easily captured, appears in July and
August; its favourite resorts being heaths, dry fields, and lanes.
It is sometimes called the _Small_ Meadow Brown, and the Gate-keeper.
* * * * *
THE RINGLET BUTTERFLY. (_Hipparchia Hyperanthus._)
(Plate VI. fig. 3, Female.)
This is one of those butterflies in which Nature, departing from her
accustomed plan, has reserved the chief adornment of the wings for the
_under_ surface, leaving the upper comparatively plain and unattractive.
In both sexes the wings, above, are of a deep sepia brown, surrounded by a
greyish white fringe, and bearing several black spots in paler rings, which
rings are {104} much _less distinct_ in the _male_ than in the female, the
sex figured in the plate.
The under surface is of a soft russet ground, adorned with a wreath of the
_ringlet_-spots from which the insect takes its common name. These are
_black eye-spots_, white-centred and set in a clear ring of pale tawny
colour. The most usual form and proportions of these spots are shown in the
figure (with closed wings), but there are many varieties met with, the
following being the most remarkable that have come under my notice.
One, and not a very uncommon one, has _no light rings_ round the black
spots on the under side.
Another has the rings reduced to a range of mere light specks, the _black
eye-spots being entirely absent_.
Then again, another has the black _pupils_ exceedingly large and rich,
forming a most elegant variety.
The spots on the _upper_ side in the _male_ are sometimes quite
imperceptible.
The ground colour of the _upper_ side is occasionally of a pale drab or
fawn colour.
The _caterpillar_ of this species is very like that of the last in
colouring, and feeds on the same grasses.
The _butterfly_, which is out in June and July, is a common and widely
distributed species, frequenting woods, shady corners of hedge-rows, &c.
* * * * *
{105}
THE SCOTCH ARGUS BUTTERFLY. (_Erebia Blandina._)
(Plate VI. fig. 4, Female.)
The genus _Erebia_, to which this species belongs, is composed of a group
of mountain butterflies, very numerous in the Alpine regions of the
Continent, seventeen species being described as inhabiting the Alps; and,
though only two have yet been discovered in this country (unless we admit
_Ligea_, formerly taken in the Isle of Arran[10]), it is not at all
improbable that others may be waiting for us in some of the mountain
districts, if we will but look them up. Both tourists and, more especially,
residents in those localities should be encouraged by the hope of adding a
new species to our list to explore thoroughly the hill-sides and summits at
various seasons of the year, as many of the species, besides being
extremely local in their range, are only on the wing during a very short
period of the year.
The Scotch Argus is a pretty, though not brightly-coloured butterfly.
The colour above is a deep rich brown, with a coppery or orange-red band on
each wing, and each band has several (three or four usually) black
eye-spots thereon.
{106}
On the under side, the front wings are nearly the same as on the upper
side, showing the red patch and eyes plainly; but the hind wings are
without the red patch, and are divided into broad bands of brownish tints,
very variable, having sometimes a tendency to chocolate colour, sometimes
to an olive or russet brown: but the stripe which is shown as lightest in
the engraving of the under side is almost always greyer than the rest,
having occasionally a purplish ash colour. On this band are some minute
specks, occupying the places of the upper surface eyes.
The number of eye-spots is very variable on both surfaces.
The female, which is the sex figured, is both larger than the male and has
the reddish band of a brighter colour.
The _caterpillar_, whose food plant is unknown, is stated by Duncan to be
"light green, with brown and white longitudinal stripes; head reddish."
The _butterfly_ appears in August and September. A few years ago it was
esteemed a rare insect, but it has since been found in plenty in some of
the following localities, the list of which would doubtless be largely
added to by further research in the northern hilly districts, its chosen
haunts.
Near Edinburgh; near Minto, in Roxburghshire; Isle of Arran; Bræmar; near
Newcastle; Castle Eden Dene; Durham; Craven; Wharfedale. {107}
At Grange, in North Lancashire, this "rarity" is a common garden butterfly,
according to Mr. C. S. Gregson.
* * * * *
THE MOUNTAIN RINGLET BUTTERFLY. (_Erebia Cassiope._)
(Plate VI. fig. 5.)
A few years ago this little butterfly was esteemed one of the greatest of
British rarities. The first well authenticated specimens were discovered
and captured in Westmoreland by that distinguished artist, T. Stothard,
R.A.; then for several years no more were taken, and the very existence of
the butterfly in Britain was questioned. Since that time, however, its
peculiar haunts among the mountains of Cumberland and Westmoreland have
been rediscovered, and great numbers have been captured by various
collectors. It is only found in very elevated situations, flying about the
moist, springy spots that abound on these mountain sides, and in many spots
the insect is very plentiful, within a limited range.
Mr. Curtis says, "They only fly when the sun shines, and their flight is
neither swift nor continued, for they frequently alight among the grass,
and falling down to the roots, their sombre colour perfectly conceals
them."
The following notice of their locality, &c. from {108} personal
observation, is quoted from a communication to the _Intelligencer_, by a
well-known entomologist, Mr. R. S. Edleston, of Manchester. He says:--
"I and my friend, Mr. Hugh Harrison, in the middle of June made the ascent
to Sty Head Tarn; for the first time in my experience, the weather was
everything we could desire--calm and sunshine; this, combined with the dry
season of last year and the long drought for months during this, enabled us
to collect on ground in other years a dangerous morass. The result was, we
captured _Cassiope_ in abundance, some of them in superb condition, just
emerged from the chrysalis. A very short time on the wing suffices to
injure them. They vary considerably in the development of the black spots
on the fulvous patch, almost obsolete in some through all gradations to the
fullest development; the patch varies in like manner, and also in form;
lastly, they vary in size."
The caterpillar is yet _unknown_.
The _butterfly_ has the wings above of a dark brown colour. Each wing bears
near its extremity a bar of deep but dull red, divided into sections where
the brown veins cross. In each section is usually a black spot, but
sometimes these are absent, and a few red spots take the place of the bar.
The hind wings are smoothly rounded in their outline, and not toothed or
scalloped as in the last species (_Blandina_). The _males_ generally appear
towards the end of June, but a few sometimes earlier. The females, however,
come later. {109} being found in July, and some even as late as August. The
following localities for it are recorded:--Rannoch, Perthshire; Lake
District; Sty Head Tarn; Langdale Pikes; Red Skrees Mountains, near
Ambleside; Gable Hill. But other stations for it will probably be added to
our list in time.
* * * * *
THE MARSH RINGLET, OR SMALL RINGLET BUTTERFLY. (_Coenonympha Davus._)
(Plate VI. fig. 6.)
This species, which is another North-country butterfly, varies so much in
its colouring of sober drab or brown, with black eye-spots, that its
varieties have been described as distinct species under the names of _C.
Polydama_, _Typhon_, and _Iphis_, now, however, all placed together under
the name of _Davus_.
These variations appear to depend in great measure upon local differences
of elevation, latitude, &c.
From this excessive variability also it is very difficult to give a clear
_general_ description of the markings, though the insect may be
distinguished from other British species that approach it in appearance by
the obscure yellowish-drab tint of the upper surface, marked with
indistinct eye-spots, and more especially by having on the under surface of
the hind wings an _irregular_ {110} _whitish_ band across the centre, and
outside of this a row of about six clearly defined black eye-spots with
white centres, situated each in a pale ochreous ring.
The _butterfly_, which appears in June and July, is exclusively met with in
the North (including North Wales), and inhabits the moors and marshy
heaths, or "mosses," in a great many localities in Scotland and the
northern counties. The following are among those recorded:--
SCOTLAND.--Shetland Isles; Isle of Arran; Pentland Hills; Ben Nevis; Ben
Lomond, near Oban; Ben More.
ENGLAND.--Lake District of Cumberland; Yorkshire; Beverley; Cottingham;
Hatfield Chase; Thorne Moor; White Moss, Trafford Moss, Chat Moss, near
Manchester; Chartly Park, near Uttoxeter; Delmere Forest, Cheshire; between
Stockport and Ashton; near Cromer, in Norfolk; near Glandford Brigg,
Lincolnshire.
IRELAND.--Donegal mountains.
NORTH WALES.--Between Bala and Ffestiniog.
Ashdown Forest, in Sussex, has been given as a locality, on doubtful
authority, certainly; but from what I have seen and know of that district
and its productions, I think it is not at all impossible that _Davus_ may
be really found there. We have there, at any rate, the heath-covered, yet
swampy, moorlands that the insect loves, and also in plenty the plants one
finds most abundant in the northern moorlands; such {111} as Vacciniums,
Cotton-grasses, the three common Heaths, &c. &c. with great variety in the
elevation, some of the ground lying very high.
* * * * *
THE SMALL HEATH BUTTERFLY. (_Coenonympha Pamphilus._)
(Plate VI. fig. 7.)
This is the pretty little tawny-coloured butterfly that mixes with the
sportive group of "Blues," Meadow Browns, &c. on heaths, downs, and grassy
fields.
The general colour of the upper surface is a tawny yellow or buff, shaded
with a darker tint of brown at the edges and at the bases of the hind
wings. On the under side it may be distinguished from _C. Davus_ by the
_absence of the clearly defined black eye-spots_ which the latter has. It
is usually much inferior in size to the last.
The _caterpillar_, which feeds on the common grasses, is of a bright
apple-green colour, with three darker green stripes bordered with a whitish
tint, the largest stripe being that on the back.
The _butterfly_ abounds all over the country, from June till September.
* * * * *
{112}
THE WHITE ADMIRAL. (_Limenitis Sybilla._)
(Plate VII. fig. 1.)
This elegant butterfly is one of those in which the choicest ornamentation
is bestowed upon the _under_ surface, to the comparative neglect of the
upper. Above, a dark sepia-brown tint, banded and spotted with white, is
all that greets the eye; but beneath there is a piece of the most
exquisitely harmonious colouring, though the hues that compose it are still
of a subdued and secondary nature;--silvery blue, and golden brown blended
with a cooler brown and black, are placed in vivacious contrast with bands
and spots of pure silvery white.
The _caterpillar_ (Plate I. fig. 4), which feeds on the Honeysuckle, is a
pretty and singular looking creature; general colour bright green, with
reddish branched spines, and white and brown side-stripes.
The _chrysalis_ (Plate I. fig. 21) is also a very beautiful and curious
object, very knobby and angular, of dark green general colour, and
ornamented with _bright silver_ spots and stripes.
The _butterfly_ is found from the end of June till the end of July; its
favourite resorts being oak-woods in the southern counties. {113}
Localities:--Colchester; Epping; Hartley Wood, near St. Osyth, Essex; near
Rye, and in other parts of Sussex; at several places in Kent; near
Winchester; and in Black Park, where Dr. Allchin informs me he took a large
number in one day.
The superlatively graceful motions of this butterfly on the wing, as it
comes floating and sailing through the wood openings, have long been
celebrated; and the story has been often quoted from Haworth, of the old
fly-fancier, who, long after he had become too feeble and stiff-jointed to
pursue or net a butterfly, used to go and sit on a stile which commanded a
well-known resort of his favourite _Sybilla_, and there, for hours
together, would he feast his eyes on the sight of her inimitably elegant
evolutions.
* * * * *
THE PURPLE EMPEROR. (_Apatura Iris._)
(Plate VII. fig. 2.)
By universal suffrage, the place of highest rank among the butterflies of
Britain has been accorded to this splendid insect, who merits his imperial
title by reason of his robe of royal purple, the lofty throne he assumes,
and the boldness and elevation of his flight.
A glimpse of this august personage on the wing is enough to fire the
collector with enthusiastic ambition {114} for his capture; sometimes a
matter of the easiest accomplishment, sometimes just as hopelessly
impossible, according to his majesty's humour of the moment.
Cowardice is not one of his attributes, and if he has formed a preference
for any especial spot, he will risk loss of liberty and life rather than
forsake it.
The old mode of capturing this prize was by a ring net fixed at the end of
a pole some twenty or thirty feet long, and so sweeping him off as he sat
on his leafy throne, or in one of his evolutions when he quitted his seat
for a turn in the air.
This method still is practised, and succeeds occasionally, but the weapon
is an unwieldy one, both in use, and for carriage to the place of action;
and science has now placed in our power another plan, by means of which I
believe that by far the greater number of recent captures have been made.
The plan alluded to, is to take advantage of the creature's royal taste for
game--for in that light I take his predilection for decomposing animal
matter, now a matter of notoriety; and so potent is the attraction of the
_haut-goût_ for the royal palate, that if any animal, or part of one, not
too recently slaughtered, be suspended near the known haunts of the insect,
ten to one but its savour will bring him down to earth to taste the
luxurious morsel, and so engrossed does he become when thus engaged, that
he may be swept off by the net without difficulty. In the space of two or
three days large numbers of Emperors have been caught by means {115} of
this novel and singular trap, and the seemingly coarse and unbutterfly-like
taste that leads them to it.
The wings of the male only have that splendid glow of changing purple that
gives him his name and honours, the empress having in its place a sober
garb of brown; she, however, considerably exceeds her lord in dimensions
and expanse of wing. From her stay-at-home habits, sitting all day in her
oak-leaf bower, she is comparatively seldom seen or captured. I believe
collectors generally take about ten males to one female.
On the under side the colouring of both sexes is similar, and affords a
striking contrast to the dark upper surface, having the white markings
arranged as on the upper side, but rather broader; and, instead of the dark
brown or purple, a lively pattern of orange-brown, greyish brown, and
black. On the front wing is a purple-centred eye-spot, and a smaller one is
seen near the lower angle of the hind wing.
The firm, muscular appearance of the wings, gives promise of great strength
in those organs, fully borne out in the powerful and bird-like flight of
the creature, who has also a habit of soaring, about midday, to vast
heights in the air, and there engaging in contests, sportive or pugnacious,
with his brother, or rival, Emperors.
In the _caterpillar_ state also the Purple Emperor is a remarkable
creature, of the form shown in Plate I. fig. 5, bright green, striped with
yellow on each side, and bearing on his head a pair of horns or tentacles.
{116} Though the perfect insect is chiefly found on the oak, the
caterpillar feeds generally on the broad-leaved Sallow, though it has been
occasionally found on the Poplar.
The _chrysalis_, which may be found on the same trees, suspended to the
under side of a leaf, is shown at Fig. 22, Plate I. and is of a light green
colour.
The _butterfly_ appears in July, and is found in oak woods in many
localities of the South. The following are a few of these:--Near
Colchester, extremely abundant, Epping, Great and Little Stour Woods;
Kettering, Barnwell Wold, Northamptonshire; Bourne, Lincoln; Leicester;
Reading, Newbury, Berks; Herefordshire; Forest of Dean, Monmouthshire;
Warwickshire; Suffolk; Monkswood, Hunts; Clapham Park Wood, Beds; Darenth
Wood, Chatham, Tenterden; Ticehurst, Balcombe, Tilgate Forest, Arundel,
near Brighton; Lyndhurst; Stowmarket; Isle of Wight.
[Illustration: XII.]
{117} THE PAINTED LADY. (_Cynthia Cardui._)
(Plate VII. fig. 3.)
We now come to a very natural group of butterflies, rich, and often
gorgeous, in their colouring, and having, both in their perfect and
preparatory states, many characteristics in common, in point of habits, as
well as of appearance and construction. The caterpillars are all thorny,
and the chrysalides are adorned with brilliant metallic (generally
_golden_) spots, from which appearance was derived the name
"_chrysalis_,"[11] since applied, but somewhat improperly, to the _pupæ_ of
_all_ butterflies. This golden effect is produced by a brilliant white
membrane underlying the transparent yellow outer skin of the chrysalis, and
it may be imitated, as discovered by Lister many years ago, "by putting a
small piece of black gall in a strong decoction of nettles; this produces a
scum which, when left on cap-paper, will exquisitely gild it, without the
application of the real metal."
The present species is a highly elegant insect, well named the Painted
Lady, and in France the "_Belle Dame_."
The colouring of the upper surface is composed of black and very dark
brown, with irregular markings of an orange red, tinged partially with a
rosy hue. Near the tip of the front wings are several pure white spots.
Beneath, the great beauty lies in the delicate pencilling of the hind wing
with pearly greys and browns, and contrasted with this, the warm roseate
blush and aurora tint on the upper wing.
The _caterpillar_ is thorny and brown, with yellow stripes down the back
and sides. It feeds on various {118} species of thistle, but sometimes also
on the nettle and other plants.
The _chrysalis_ is brown and grey, with silver spots.
The butterfly first appears about the end of July, and is seen till the end
of September, and occasionally in October. I took a beautiful fresh
specimen in _October_, while strolling through a nursery garden at
Wandsworth.
Those seen in early spring are _hybernated_ specimens.
The appearance of this butterfly in any given locality is a matter of great
uncertainty, though it capriciously visits, and even abounds occasionally
in almost every place.
It is a bold insect, and, though agile in its movements, not difficult to
catch, for, if disturbed or missed at the first stroke, it returns to the
charge quite fearlessly.
* * * * *
THE RED ADMIRAL. (_Vanessa Atalanta._)
(Plate VIII. fig. 1.)
In grand simplicity and vividness of colour, the Red Admiral perhaps
surpasses every other British butterfly, and reminds one forcibly of some
of the gorgeous denizens of the tropics. Intense black and brilliant
scarlet in bands and borders are the two chief elements {119} of this
splendour, relieved delightfully by the cool white spots at the outer and
upper corners, and by the choice little bits of blue at the inner and lower
angles and near the margins. The painting of the under surface entirely
beggars description. There is, in addition to the red band, a good deal of
blue on the upper wing, and the lower wing is covered by an intricate
embroidery of indescribable tints--all manner of browns, and greys, and
blacks, with golden and other hues of metals, are here pencilled and
blended with magic effect.
The _caterpillar_, which feeds on the common nettle, is thorny, yellowish
grey in colour, with light yellow lines on each side and black markings.
The _chrysalis_ is brownish, with gold spots.
The butterfly usually comes out in August, and may be met with till early
in October. The hybernated specimens of this are more rarely seen than
those of any of the other common _Vanessas_.
Like others of its genus, the Red Admiral is familiar, and even saucy, in
its manners, seeming to prefer the haunts of men to the solitudes that
other insects love, flaunting boldly before our face in gardens and
highways, where most we meet it.
It is found commonly all over the country.
* * * * *
{120}
THE PEACOCK BUTTERFLY. (_Vanessa Io._)
(Plate VIII. fig. 2.)
The form and markings of this species, so distinct from every other of our
butterflies, will be seen by reference to the plate; and as to its
colouring, I will not do it the injustice to attempt a description of its
rich perfection, more especially as almost every reader may hope to add the
insect to his collection during his first year's hunting, and then he can
study its beauties for himself.
The under side, however, presents a remarkable contrast to the splendour of
the reverse, being covered with shades and streaks of funereal blacks and
browns. This affords a strange effect when the insect, sitting on a flower
head, alternately opens and shuts the wings with a fanning motion,
according to its custom.
The _caterpillar_ (Plate I. fig. 6), which feeds gregariously upon the
nettle, is black, dotted with white, and thorny.
The _chrysalis_ is greenish, with gold spots.
The _butterfly_, which is common in nearly every part of England, comes out
in August and September, the individuals met with not unfrequently in the
spring having hybernated.
Mr. Doubleday writes thus to the _Zoologist_ regarding the winter retreats
of butterflies of this genus:--"Last {121} winter some large stacks of
beech faggots, which had been loosely stacked up in our forest (_Epping_)
the preceding spring, with the dead leaves adhering to them, were taken
down and carted away, and among these were many scores of _Io_, _Urticæ_,
and _Polychloros_."
In Scotland this is generally a very rare butterfly, but has latterly been
abundant in Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire.
* * * * *
THE CAMBERWELL BEAUTY. (_Vanessa Antiopa._)
(Plate VIII. fig. 3.)
Many years ago, when Camberwell was a real village, luxuriating in its
willows, the entomologists of the day were delighted by the apparition, in
that suburb, of this well-named "Beauty," whose name since then has always
been associated with Camberwell--certainly not a promising place in the
present day for a butterfly hunt, for, though it has its "beauties" still,
they are not of the lepidopterous order, nor game for any net that the
entomologist usually carries. Since then it has been found at intervals,
and in very variable abundance, in a wide range of localities.
The arrangement of colours in this butterfly is most remarkable and
unusual, by reason of the sudden contrast between the pale whitish border
and the velvet depth of the colours it encloses. {122}
The inmost portion of all the wings is a deep rich chocolate brown, then
comes a band of black, including a row of large blue spots, and succeeded
by an outer border of pale yellow tint, partially dappled with black
specks.
The _caterpillar_ feeds on the _willow_ (which accounts for its former
appearance in Camberwell). It is thorny, black, with white dots, and a row
of large red spots down the back.
The _chrysalis_ is very angular, and blackish with tawny spots.
The butterfly comes out of the chrysalis late in the autumn, and is seen
from August till October; but a great proportion of those observed in this
country have survived the winter, and have been seen abroad again in the
spring. It has been frequently seen feasting on over-ripe or rotten fruit,
and at such times may be often surprised and captured with ease.
No spot can be pointed out where one can _expect_ to meet with this fine
insect; but it has appeared singly at intervals in the following localities
among others:--Scotland, Ayrshire; Durham; Scarborough; York; Darlington;
Sheffield; Manchester; Lake District; Appleby; Coventry; Peterborough;
Oxford; Burton-on-Trent; Norfolk; Lincolnshire; Suffolk; Bristol; Ely;
Shrewsbury; Plymouth; Teignmouth; Kent; Ashford; Bromley; Tenterden;
Ramsgate; various places in neighbourhood of London; Epping; Hampshire;
Isle of Wight; Lewes; Worthing. {123}
On the Continent this is a common butterfly, in many places being the most
abundant of all the _Vanessas_.
* * * * *
THE LARGE TORTOISESHELL BUTTERFLY. (_Vanessa Polychloros._)
(Plate IX. fig. 1.)
The beginner often has a slight difficulty in finding a good and permanent
distinction between this species and the next (_V. Urticæ_). At the first
blush, the superior size of this seems to be a sufficient mark, and then
the orange of the wings has usually a much browner, or more tawny hue, than
that of _Urticæ_; but as I have seen specimens of _Polychloros absolutely
smaller_ than some very large _Urticæ's_, and as the colour of both
occasionally varies, so that they approach each other in this respect also,
it is evident we must look for some better mark of distinction; and here
_is_ one. In _Polychloros_, _all_ the light markings between the black
spots on the upper edge of the front wing are _yellow_, whereas in _Urticæ_
the _outer one next the blue and black border is pure pearly_ WHITE. The
two other marks on the front edge are yellow. _Polychloros_ has also, near
the _lower corner of the front wing, an extra black spot_, not found in
_Urticæ_.
The blue spots on the border are in this species almost confined to the
hind wings. {124}
The _caterpillar_ generally feeds on the elm, whence the butterfly is
occasionally called the "Elm Butterfly," but it has also been found on the
willow, and on the white beam-tree. Mr. Boscher of Twickenham informs me
that the specimens he has bred from caterpillars fed on the _willow_ have
been all far below the average size. The caterpillar is thorny, and of a
tawny colour, broadly striped with black along each side.
The _chrysalis_ is of a dull flesh colour, with golden spots.
The _butterfly_ makes its appearance in July and August, _hybernated_
specimens being also frequently seen in the spring, from March till May.
In some places and seasons it is not rare, but is very uncertain in its
appearance, abounding most in the southern districts, and being almost
unknown in Scotland. It is fond of gardens and other frequented places.
* * * * *
THE SMALL TORTOISESHELL BUTTERFLY. (_Vanessa Urticæ._)
(Plate IX. fig. 2.)
This pretty species is much commoner than the last, being, in fact, the
most plentiful of all the _genus_, and found everywhere, in gardens, by
weedy road-sides and waste grounds, &c.
Its markings are very similar to those of the last, but the colouring is
much more gay and brilliant. {125}
The distinguishing mark of this species--the possession of a pure _white_
spot near the upper corner of the front wing--has been already pointed out
under _V. Polychloros_.
The blue crescent-spots of the border are much more marked than in the
last, and extend along the edge of the front wing. The orange colour also
approaches a _scarlet_, and the yellow spots have a brighter hue than in
_Polychloros_.
The _caterpillar_, which is found feeding in large companies on the nettle,
is of greyish colour, with a black line on the back, and brown and yellow
stripes on the sides. Thorny, like rest of the genus.
The _chrysalis_ is generally of a brown hue, spotted with gold, but I have
seen it gilded all over, making a very splendid appearance.
Hybernated individuals of this butterfly are seen during the spring months,
but the first emergence from the chrysalis takes place in June, and the
insect is seen on the wing constantly from that time till October.
The following interesting notice of the capture of a swarm of these
butterflies in _mid-winter_, is quoted, from the _Zoologist_, p. 5000. The
writer is a Mr. Banning, resident near Ballacraine, in the Isle of Man:--
"Whilst standing in my farm-yard on the day following Christmas-day (1855),
it being unusually fine and warm, I was suddenly astonished by the fall of
{126} more than a hundred of the accompanying butterflies (_V. Urticæ_). I
commenced at once collecting them, and succeeded in securing more than
sixty. These I have fed on sugar spread over cabbage-leaves and bran until
now, and, to all appearances, those which still survive (more than forty in
number) are thriving well, and in good condition."
* * * * *
THE COMMA BUTTERFLY. (_Grapta C. Album._)
(Plate IX. fig. 3.)
The singularly jagged outline of this butterfly at once distinguishes it
from every other native species, though, did we not know it as a distinct
species, it might have been taken for one of the two previous species very
much stunted, deformed, and torn, so similar is it in colour and the plan
of its markings.
The upper surface is deep fulvous, or rusty orange, and marked with black
and dark brown. In different individuals, the under side varies greatly in
its tints and markings, especially near the border of the wings, which are
sometimes of a deep rich olive brown, sometimes pale tawny. They all agree,
however, in bearing in the centre of the hind wings the character from
which the insect takes its specific name, viz. a white mark in form of the
letter C, which has also been likened with less justice to a , whence its
English name of "Comma." {127}
The female is of a paler tint than the male, and the edges of the wings are
less deeply scalloped and cut. The figure is that of a male.
The _caterpillar_ is tawny-coloured; but the back, for about the hinder
half its length, is whitish; head black. The body is armed with short
spines, and there are two ear-like tubercles projecting from the side of
the head. It has been found feeding on the elm, willow, sloe, currant,
nettle, and hop.
The _chrysalis_ is of the curious shape shown at fig. 24, Plate I.; of a
brownish tint, with gold spots.
The _butterfly_ appears in July and August, and hybernated individuals in
the spring, up till May. Its range seems to be nearly confined to the
Midland and Western districts. It was formerly found near London, and in
other places, whence it has now disappeared.
The following localities are given for it:--Carlisle and the Lake district,
York, Green Hammerton (Yorkshire), Doncaster, Broomsgrove (Worcestershire),
Warwickshire, Peterborough, Scarborough, Barnwell Wold (Northamptonshire),
Bristol, Gloucester, Dorchester. I found it very plentiful on the banks of
the Wye, in 1858; and in the following May I took one in South Wales, at
Pont-y-Pridd. In Scotland, Fifeshire has been mentioned as a locality.
This is a rapid flyer, and not very easily caught when fresh on the wing.
* * * * *
{128}
THE SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY (_Argynnis Paphia._)
(Plate IX. fig. 4, Male; 4 _a_, Female.)
The beautiful genus to which this butterfly belongs is distinguished by the
adornment of silvery spots and streaks with which the under side of the
hind wings is bedight; while the upper surface is chequered with black,
upon a rich golden-brown ground, the device reminding one of those
old-fashioned chequered flowers called "fritillaries," whence the common
name of these butterflies.
Of all the British Fritillaries, this is, perhaps, the loveliest, from the
exquisite softness and harmony of the silvery pencillings on the iridescent
green of the under side; though some of the others with bright silver
_spots_ are gayer and more sparkling.
The two sexes differ considerably on the upper surface; the _male_ being
marked with black (as in the engraving) upon a bright orange-brown ground,
while the _female_ is without the broad black borders to the veins of the
front wings, and the ground colour is suffused with an olive-brown tint,
inclining sometimes to green. The black spots are also larger. Beneath,
however, both sexes are marked nearly alike with _washy streaks of silver_,
and not with defined spots. {129}
The _caterpillar_ (fig. 7, Plate I.), as with all the Fritillaries, is
thorny, with two spines behind the head longer than the rest; black, with
yellow lines along the back and sides. It feeds on violet leaves, also on
the wild raspberry and nettle.
The _chrysalis_ (fig. 16, Plate I.) is greyish, with the tubercles silvered
or gilt.