124 THE COMMONER BUTTERFLIES. 



spots, and with marginal spots much as above. Expanse about 

 1 inch. 



Caterpillar. — Onisciform. Head minute, black. Body naked, 

 pilose, dark green specked with pale points, with a fuscous dorsal 

 stripe, and on either side obscure oblique fuscous markings; last 

 segment broad and flattened. Length nearly ^ inch. 



Chrysalis. — Body more than three times as long as broad, pale 

 green, the abdomen brownish yellow, with an interrupted blackish 

 dorsal stripe, and on each side a row of oblique blackish dashes. 

 Length fully J inch. 



This butterfly, found everywhere, is a lively insect, often 

 difficult to follow in its motion among the herbage, above 

 which, unless very low, it is seldom seen. Its eggs, which 

 are sea-urchin-shaped, pea-green, and studded with pale 

 prominences, are laid singly, tucked into crevices about the 

 inflorescence of flowers of the Leguminous plants on which 

 the caterpillar feeds — Lespedeza, Desmodium, clover, etc. — 

 and hatch in four days or less; the caterjjillar seems to pre- 

 fer the flower-heads and tender leaves for food and will 

 burrow into the calyx in search of nutriment. The insect 

 is triple-brooded : the first butterflies appear early in May, 

 soon become plenty, and disaj^pear some time in the first 

 half of June; the caterpillars attain their growth rapidly, 

 the chrysalis state is short, and in the first half of July 

 the butterflies of the second brood appear and continue to 

 emerge throughout the month; the same story is again re- 

 peated, the chrysalis continuing from nine to eleven days, 

 and the third generation makes its appearance after the 

 middle of August while some worn butterflies of the second 

 brood are still on the wing; the third brood may still be 

 found until after the middle of September. How the 

 winter is passed is not known, but probably as a full-grown 

 caterpillar. Further north it is probable that there are but 

 two broods, as is the case in the White Mountains of New 

 Hampshire. 



In southern regions, and as far north as Long Island, 



