The Grizzled Skipper (Syrichthus Malvæ)
The ground color of this species is a very dark brown, relieved by a number of square white spots arranged as shown in fig. 11 of [Plate VII]. The fringe is wide, and barred with the same two colours, arranged alternately. The pattern of the under side is similar, but the dark brown of the upper surface is replaced by a lighter olive tint.
The butterfly may be looked for in May in the open spaces of woods, particularly in damp places. It is common all over England, and is found also in the south of Scotland.
The caterpillar is either green or brownish, with a darker dorsal stripe of the same color, and two white lines on each side. It feeds on the raspberry (Rubus idæus), the bramble (R. fruticosus),
and the strawberry-leaved cinquefoil (Potentilla Fragariastrum), and is full fed about the end of June.
The chrysalis is greyish, spotted with black. It is rather elongated, and without angles, but has a short and sharp projection extending backwards from the 'tail.'
The Dingy Skipper (Nisoniades Tages)
Colour—a dingy brown, indistinctly barred and spotted with a darker tint, and having a row of small white spots just inside the fringe of the hind margins. Under side—a paler brown, with rows of small white spots.
This butterfly is common in all parts of England, and is found in a few localities in Scotland and Ireland. It frequents dry banks, and is particularly partial to the chalky districts of the south-eastern counties. It is on the wing in May, and a second brood appears in lesser numbers in August.
The caterpillar is pale green, with two yellow stripes on each side, and a row of black spots above each stripe. It feeds on the bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), and may be found in June, and again in September.