The Black-veined White Butterfly

Abstract

MR. KIRBY, on p. 340 of your last issue, says (in criticism of Mr. Furneaux) that this insect “would not frequent open ground at a distance from trees.” I suppose there are not now many Englishmen who have taken it in this country; and it may be worth while to record that the common on which my brother and I used to find it tolerably abundant in the years 1857–1859, was quite an open place, with no adjacent wood, and very little hedge timber. This common is about a mile and a half to the west of Cardiff; I passed it in the train a few weeks ago, and noted that it is being encroached on by suburbs. We had many a hot chase there over gorse and briar, and always considered this butterfly the most difficult of all to catch. I have never seen it in England since 1859 or 1860.