ADULT butterflies are like our cars - they do not grow but they do need feeding with fuel. This is why they visit plants in order to visit a "filling station" which has "pumps" full of nectar.

The growing stage is the caterpillar which needs a specialised diet to thrive. Butterflies choose a particular plant on which to lay their eggs.

The orange tip chooses Jack-by-the-hedge which in our area is at its best between June and early August.

Jack-by-the-hedge (alliaria petriolata) is also known as hedge mustard because of its smell. This plant does grow well at the edge of roadsides and as the name implies in hedges.

Its white flowers have four petals arranges in the form of a cross. It therefore belongs to a family called the Cruciferae all of which are very rich in Vitamin C. Before the days of supermarkets and imported vegetables and fruit crucifers were eaten in salads. William Turner writing his herbal in 1538 used Jack-by-the-hedge in sauces which he said went well with fish. In the 18th century it was served as a dressing with boiled mutton.

The orange tip butterfly has the name of anthocaris cardamines. The second part of this scientific name relates to the fact that the second of the butterflies favourite plants is the mayflower which also has 'cardamines' in its scientific name.

Only the male has the orange tip to the wings. The female often has blackish spots and she lays bottle-shaped eggs on the food plants. The eggs soon turn orange. Usually only one egg is laid on each flower head because it seems that the caterpillars are so greedy that they turn cannibal!

The caterpillars are plate orange with black hairs when young. Soon, however, they turn green and have dark stripes, thus providing perfect camouflage. The crysalis from which the adult emerges in the spring is triangular in shape and attached to a solid object such as old stems of plants by a thread of strong silk.

These days we hear a lot of sad stories about our wildlife, but the orange tip really does buck the trend. It has spread northwards and is now very common in our region.

A snail invasion

DAVID Marshall of Scott Avenue, Simonstone, writes: "Several years ago in our local gardens there were no snails whatsoever, but many slugs delighted in eating our plants. Now there are very few slugs around but it is difficult to avoid treading on the numerous snails. Why is this?"

Personally I have found that we are getting both more slugs and snails and it is down to the weather.

The weather has been getting warmer and it has also been quite damp which is the perfect climate for snails and slugs.

Molluscs do not retain water very well as they have no outer skeleton and, as a result, in dry weather they dry up.

The fact that David is seeing lots of snails but no slugs could depend on where his garden is situated and the type of soil.

Ramson interest

I SPENT some time looking for the old names for the ramson plant.

I found onion flower and onion stinkers very accurate and the name badgers flower is also accurate because badgers have been known to dig up and eat the bulbs.

The old English name for the plant, Hramsa, gives us place names such as Ramsey in Essex and our own East Lancashire Ramsbottom. Many of our local towns relate to plants such as Haslingden (the hazel), Accrington (oak) and any name ending in Holme relates to Holly.

In his journal written in 1871, Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote of a wood "curled all over with bright green garlic".

This Jesuit poet spent a lot of time at Stonyhurst School and his description may well have referred to the Hodder Woods.

You will not forget the smell of the ramson plant but you should remember its folklore and how pretty its star-like flowers are.