114 THE COMMONER BUTTERFLIES. 



a twig of the food-plant (wild clierry is the only one cer- 

 tainly known, but the caterpillars will eat plum), tucked 

 into some protected spot, and hatch just as the foliage 

 begins to open in the spring. The caterpillar bites a round 

 hole in the top of the egg to escape, does not further disturb 

 it, and at first eats circular holes in the parenchyma of the 

 leaf, then ploughs jagged tracks through it; it will hang 

 by a thread when disturbed, at least when young. It 

 reaches maturity by the last of June or later, the chrysalis 

 state continues for twelve days, and the first butterflies 

 appear about the middle of July; they become abundant 

 by the last of the month, and continue to fly throughout 

 August. There is but a single brood. 



24. Genus Incisalia. 



INCISALIA NIPHON— THE BANDED ELFIN. 



(Thecla niplion.) 



Butterfly. — Upper surface of wings dark glossy brown, in the 

 female deeply tinged except at base by ferruginous, the fore wings 

 of the male with an obscure stigma at the end of the cell. Under 

 surface of fore wings yellowish brown with some transverse mark- 

 ings mostly confined to the upper half, according with those of 

 the hind wings, which are cinnamon-brown, crossed before the 

 middle by an exceedingly broad slightly darker band, the borders 

 of which are still darker and very irregular, the outer edged with 

 white ; between it and the margin an almost equally irregular 

 series of large ferruginous spots, capped inwardly with blackish. 

 Expanse about 1 inch. 



Caterpillar. — Onisciform. Head minute, yellowish brown. 

 Body naked, with fine pile, green, with two distinct whitish-yel- 

 low lines along each side. Length fully f inch. 



Chrysalis. — Mingled blackish and yellowish browm, the dark 

 markings of the abdomen extending over the whole surface 

 above the spiracles, the delicate raised reticulation black ; a 

 slender dorsal ridge on mesothorax. Length nearly | inch. 



This active butterfly is often seen at a considerable height 

 above the ground, as about the tops of trees, and is to be 



