FAMILY BRUSH FOOTED BUTTERFLIES. 77 



It is single-brooded, appearing about the middle of June, 

 but not becoming common until the middle of August, 

 and is still on the wing in September; although the males 

 appear some time before the females, the latter may be 

 found long before they are ready to lay their eggs, which 

 is not until the latter half of August. The males have a 

 yery perceptible odor of sandal-wood. 



ARGYNNIS APHRODITE— THE SILVER-SPOT FRITILLARY. 



Butterfly. — The ground color of the under surface of the hind 

 wings is a pure chmamoneous, and the buff band between the 

 two outer rows of silver spots is very narrow, narrower than the 

 outermost brown margin, and at its extremities often disappears. 

 Expanse 3 inches. 



Caterpillar. — Head black, reddish yellow behind. Body 

 spined, blackish brown, with a velvet-black spot at base of each 

 spine, not so dark beneath; spines corneous, black, some reddish 

 yellow at base. Length fully H inches. 



Chrysalis. — Livid brown and blackish, less coarsely rugose, 

 and with less prominent tubercles than in A. cyheUy the basal seg- 

 ments of the abdomen bicolored. Length nearly 1 inch. 



The eggs, which are short sugar-loaf -shaped, as high as 

 broad, with sixteen to nineteen vertical ribs and honey- 

 yellow, are laid singly on the food-plant and hatch in 

 a fortnight. After devouring their egg-shells, the cater- 

 pillars move actively about as if searching for winter quar- 

 ters, utterly declining all vegetable food. After hiberna- 

 tion they feed by night on all kinds of wild violets, and 

 during the day lie concealed on the ground under chips 

 and stones; they are very active. The chrysalis hangs 

 from seventeen to twenty days. The butterfly is very fond 

 of the blossoms of the thistle, and when feeding can readily 

 be taken with the fingers. Though a more northern but- 

 terfly than A. cyhele, it is more southern than A. atlantis 

 and more eastern than A. alcestis. It is found throughout 

 New England, excepting in the heart of the White Moun- 



