The seasons and localities of this butterfly correspond very closely with those of the last species, but it is much more common, and may be found in abundance in nearly all our southern woods during May and June. The caterpillar, also, feeds on the same plant (dog violet) as _Selene_. It is black, with whitish lines along the sides; and is provided with a number of bristly spines. The chrysalis is of a grey-brown colour, with small dots of a paler tint on the wing cases; and its body has a number of short conical projections exactly corresponding with the spines of the caterpillar. _The Queen of Spain Fritillary_ (_Argynnis Latona_) We now pass from the commonest to the rarest and most prized of our wood butterflies--The Queen of Spain (Plate II, fig. 7). This royal personage is not easily mistaken for any of the meaner Fritillaries even when the upper surface only is examined, as the concave hind margins of the fore wings serve as an almost conclusive mark of distinction. The rich tawny brown of this side is boldly marked with black, and the long hairs and scales of the bases of the wings are tinged with green. The under side presents a most beautiful appearance. Here the ground colour is paler than that of the upper side. The fore wings are spotted with black, and have a few small patches of silver at the tips. Each hind wing has no fewer than twenty-four bright silvery spots. Seven of these, mostly of large size, adorn the hind margin, and above each of these is a small one in the middle of a little patch of dark brown. The arrangement of the others is not quite so easily described, but may be readily made out from our illustration. [Illustration: FIG. 69.--THE QUEEN OF SPAIN FRITILLARY--UNDER SIDE.] This rare gem among British butterflies has been taken in many localities, but in very small numbers. Seeing that it is a common insect on the other side of the Channel, and that the British captures have been made chiefly in the Isle of Wight and on the south coast, I am inclined to believe that many of the highly valued genuine Britishers have no right to their title, but are visitors that have spent only a few days within our shores, having flown or been blown across the sea. It is not likely that many of my readers will ever meet with _Latona_ during their rambles in our own country, and if they are anxious to have the species represented in their collections, they will probably have to purchase either a British or a foreign specimen, the former of which will command a very high price, while the latter may be obtained for three or four pence. The perfect insect may be looked for in August and September, during which time the eggs are laid on the leaves of violets and the heartsease (_Viola canina_, _V. odorata_, and _V. tricolor_).