82 THE COMMONER BUTTERFLIES. 



The caterpillar feeds on a considerable variety of polypeta- 

 lons plants, but particularly on Passiflora and Sedum; it 

 feeds readily on violets and has been known to be injurious 

 to the garden pansy; it probably feeds only by night. The 

 chrysalis hangs for about eleven days. The butterfly fre- 

 quents open fields and is a southern form, though occurring 

 farther nortli in the Mississippi Valley than in the East; it 

 is rarely found in southern New England and perhaps does 

 not Avinter there. It is apparently triple-brooded ; the last 

 brood is the most numerous and appears so late that, taking 

 into account the appearance of butterflies very early in the 

 spring, it seems probable either that the butterfly itself 

 hibernates or else that some of the autumn chrysalids con- 

 tinue over the winter, or both ; but it is not unlikely also that 

 caterpillars from eggs laid late in the season may hibernate 

 as soon as hatched or when partly grown. It is only by 

 further careful observation and experiment in the Middle 

 and Southern States that the life-history of this butterfly 

 can be determined. The inequality of the broods would 

 indicate lethargic tendencies in midsummer caterpillars. 



The genus Semnopsyche (5. diana) also occurs in the southernmost 

 part of our district. 



TRIBE ANGLE-WINGS. 

 10. Genus Junonia. 



JUNONIA C(ENIA— THE BUCKEYE. 



(Vanessa coenia, Junonia lavinia). 



Butterfly. — Upper surface of wings blackish brown, marked 

 with orange patches and with peacock-eye spots; on the fore 

 wings two parallel orange bars cross the cell, and between them 

 and the tip a broad bent whitish band crosses the wing, broaden- 

 ing below and enclosing near the lower outer angle a large pea- 

 cock-eye with a velvet-black ground; on the outer half of the 

 hind wings are two such spots, the smaller the lower, and between 



