FAMILY BRUSH-FOOTED BUTTERFLIES. 69 



season, their nests resembling those of Enphydryae but less 

 dense. Early in September and after two or three moults 

 they desert these nests and hibernate in crannies, probably 

 to some degree in company; for in the early S2)ring they 

 may be found again in loose companies, but living openly, 

 often four or five on a single leaf of their food-plants and 

 in close vicinity to their birthplace. The caterpillars 

 change to chrysalis at the end. of May or early in June and 

 hang from ten to sixteen, usually about thirteen, days. 

 The butterfly is extremely local, occurring only in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of places where the food-plant grows; but 

 not always there, for the butterfly hardly occurs south of 

 lat. 42° or west of Wisconsin, while Doellingeria- extends 

 to Georgia and Arkansas. It is single-brooded, appearing 

 upon the wing about the middle of June and flying 

 throughout July. 



4. Genus Charidryas. 



CHARIDRYAS NYCTEIS— THE SILVER CRESCENT. 



(Melitaea nycteis, Phyciodes nycteis.) 



Butterfly. — Upper surface of wings pale orange fulvous, 

 marked with black; fore wings with outer border very broadly 

 margined with black, especially above, where it nearly reaches a 

 broad bar descending from the costa to the middle of the wing ; 

 base and cell with a tangle of black lines ; hind wings mostly 

 black with an exceedingly broad subequal transverse fulvous 

 belt, broken in the middle by a brown stripe and with a row of 

 round spots in outer half. Under surface of fore wings much 

 like upper (but washed out) excepting for varied light markings 

 near apex; hind wings pale buff marked with dark brown, the 

 veins brown, dull silvery spots next the base and one or two on 

 the costal and apical margins, on the latter in the middle of a 

 broad brown field. Expanse If inches. 



Caterpillar. — Head shining black, rounded on summits. 

 Body spined, scarcely tapering on thoracic segments, velvety 

 black above with a dull orange stigmatal band; spines black or 



