FAMILY III. LYC^ENID^E 



(THE BLUES, THE COPPERS, THE HAIR-STREAKS) 



SUBFAMILY LYC/ENIN/E 



"Mark, while he moves amid the sunny beam. 

 O'er his soft wings the varying lusters gleam. 

 Launched into air, on purple plumes he soars, 

 Gay nature's face with wanton glance explores; 

 Proud of his varying beauties, wings his way, 

 And spoils the fairest flowers, himself more fair than they." 



Quoted as from Hawortb by Scudder. 



Butterfly.— 'Small, in both sexes having all feet adapted to 

 walking. There is exceeding diversity of form in the various gen- 

 era composing this family. Many of the genera are characterized 

 by the brilliant blue on the upper side of the wings; in other 

 genera shades of coppery-red predominate. The hair-streaks 

 frequently have the hind wings adorned with one or more slen- 

 der, elongated tails. In Africa and in Asia there are numerous 

 genera which strongly mimic protected insects belonging to the 

 Acraeinse. 



Egg-~ The eggs are for the most part flattened or turban- 

 shaped, curiously and beautifully adorned with ridges, minute 

 eminences, and reticulations. Some of them under the micro- 

 scope strongly resemble the shells of " sea-biscuits " with the 

 rays removed (see p. 4, Fig. 7). 



Caterpillar.— The caterpillars are for the most part slug- 

 shaped, flattened. They are vegetable feeders, save the larvae of 

 two or three genera, which are aphidivorous, feeding upon mealy 

 bugs or plant-lice. 



Chrysalis.— The chrysalids are short, compressed, attached at 

 the anal extremity, with a girdle or cincture about the middle, 

 closely fastened to the surface upon which pupation takes place. 



236 



