An illustrated natural history of British butterflies / by Edward Newman.

  • Newman, Edward, 1801-1876.
Date:
1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An illustrated natural history of British butterflies / by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    colour and texture of the egg much resemble white porcelain, with the slightest possible tint of green, excepting the circular space at the pole occupied by the smaller cells, where the green tint is very decided and the limits of this darker colour are clearly defined. On the 4th of July a. caterpillar escaped from the egg-shell, and a considerable portion of shell was also absent, as though eaten by the late occupant; the remaining portion of the egg-shell was perfectly colourless, and exhi- bited a still greater resemblance to fine porce- lain. The extruded caterpillar was colourless, hut the intestinal canal, filled with an orange- coloured substance like the yolk of a duck’s egg, was plainly perceptible. Each segment of the body emits a feA\r scattered hairs: these seem particularly observable near the anal extremity. Mr. Porritt, of Huddersfield, advanced one step farther. He informs us, at page 166 of the same journal, that on the 4th of May two young caterpillars emerged from eggs in his possession ; one of these, Avhieh had a black head and a pinkish body, he placed on a fresh flower-head of thyme, to which it soon attached itself so closely, and Avas so similar in appearance, that it Avas Avitli difficulty he could distinguish it. It fed Avell until the 14tli, when he found it stretched out at full length along the mid-rib on the upper side of a thyme leaf; and, being in the same position the next day, he concluded that it was about to undergo its fine moult. A day afteiuvards this change Avas effected, and Mr. Porritt then made the folloAving description : Length, about one-sixth of an inch; stout, but tapering towards the head, which is much smaller than the second segment; the general colour Avas dirty pink, the head brown and shiny; behind the head is a large, almost plate-like, dull black mark, from which ex- tends the rather broad, conspicuous, rust- coloured dorsal line; the body is sparingly clothed Avitli light brown hairs. Time of Aiteaiiaxce.—In 1835, June 8 and 15 ; in 1798, June 28 ; iu 1836, June 29 ; in 1833, July 3; in 1799, July 5 and 9; and in 1819, July 14.—/. C. Dale. Localities.—It has not been reported from Ireland, Scotland, or the Isle of Man. In England it is decidedly local, its ascertained range being restricted to the ten counties mentioned below. Its “metropolis,” if I may borrow an expression from the revered fathers ot British entomology, is in South Devon ; it has occurred in some abundance in Somersetshire, and on the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire; from Gloucestershire Ave ascend to a Midland county, Northampton- shire, in Avhieh county a considerable number have been taken : the remaining seven counties have produced but few specimens. All our recent information respecting this species is contained in the “ Entomologist,” from which journal I have made the following extracts:— Bedfordshire. Taken in Bedfordshire and sent to me by my friend, Dr. Abbott—A. H. Haworth, in “ Lepidojotera Britannica,” page 45. Buckinghamshire. Clifden—Lewin. Devonshire. It occurs only on the mica slate formation from Bolt Head to Bolt Tail during the latter part of June and beginning of July—J. J. Reading. I Avas very suc- cessful this year [1865] in capturing on the 17th of June thirty-six specimens of Lycama Arion near Plymouth, some of them much Avasted; the weather Avas very boisterous, but I fortunately got into a sheltered nook under some high cliffs, where apparently there had been a land-slip some years before: the ground Avas very rough, and it was Avitli great difficulty that I could travel over it, or I should have taken more—G. C. Bignelf, “ Entomologist,” vol. ii., p. 295. From the Bolt Head to the Bolt Tail. One year 1 took it wasted on the 14th of June, but the follow- ing year it did not make its appearance until the 7th of July. Another year I found it veiy sparingly on the 14th of July, and then only just coming out. It is an insect, in my opinion, which, if not taken Avithin two days of its emerging from the chrysalis, is worth nothing for a cabinet specimen, for the white fringe will then be gone, as Avell as most of the blue scales on the upper side of the Avings. AnA'one desiring to take this insect