Genus Melitaca 



While engaged in so doing, the window of the house across the 

 way was thrown up, and an elderly female thrust her head out, 

 and in strident voice exclaimed: "Hey, there! What are you 

 doin' with that ham ? I say, don't you know that that ham is 

 spiled?" As he paid no attention to her, she presently appeared 

 at the door, came across the street, and remarked: "See here, 

 mister; that ham 's spiled; Lucy and me throwed it out, knowin' 

 it was no good. If you want a good meal of wittles, come into 

 the house, and we will feed you, but for mercy's sake leave that 

 spiled ham alone." It took considerable effort to assure her that 

 no designs upon the ham were cherished, and she went away, 

 evidently completely mystified at the wild conduct of the well- 

 dressed man who was grubbing in the rubbish-pile. 



Genus MELITiEA, Fabricius 

 (The Checker-spots) 



" The fresh young Flie, . . . 



. . . joy'd to range abroad in fresh attire, 



Through the wide compass of the ayrie coast; 



And, with unwearied wings, each part t' inquire 



Of the wide rule of his renowned sire." 



Spenser. 



Butterfly. — Small. The tibiae and the tarsi of the mesothoracic 

 and metathoracic legs are more lightly armed with spines than in 

 the genera Argynnis and Brentbis. The palpi are not swollen. 

 They are clothed with long hairs and have the third joint finely 

 pointed. The antennae are about half as long as the costa of the 

 fore wings, and are provided with a short, heavy, excavated, or 

 spoon-shaped club. The subcostal of the fore wings is five- 

 branched, the first nervule always arising before the end of the 

 cell, the second at the end or just beyond it. The cell of the pri- 

 maries is closed, of the secondaries open. The markings upon the 

 wings are altogether different from those in the two preceding 

 genera, and the spots on the under side of the wings are not 

 silvered, as in the genus Brentbis. 



Egg. — The egg is rounded at the base, subconical, truncated, 

 and depressed at the upper end and fluted by light raised ridges 

 (see p. 4, Fig. 8). 



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