FAMILY TYPICAL BUTTERFLIES. 147 



from above downward, and with a large blood-red spot on inner 

 margin of hind wings before the anal angle, generally accom- 

 panied within by another. Besides these markings the under 

 surfaces of the hind wings show adjacent median red and white 

 stripes across the wing, and both surfaces blue submarginal 

 lunules in the interspaces below the long tails. Abdomen with 

 yellow sides. Expanse 3-3f inches. 



Caterpillar. — Head green. Body naked, largest at the third 

 thoracic segment, pea-green, with transverse markings, consist- 

 ing of black dots and lines and slender lemon-yellow stripes, 

 besides a conspicuous broad velvety black stripe on the third 

 thoracic segment, edged with lemon-yellow. Length more than 

 2 inches. 



Chrysalis. — Compact, with relatively low prominences except 

 the triquetral elevation on dorsum of thorax ; a slender median 

 carina on thorax and a similar pair on upper side of abdomen ; 

 dead-leaf brown, or bright green with slight infuscated markings. 

 Length nearly 1 inch. 



This butterfly, a southern form, is confined to the eastern 

 half of the continent and is found only in the southern 

 part of our district witli about the same limits as the pre- 

 ceding species; it flies low^ and rapidly among thickets. 

 The insect winters as a chrysalis and has several broods a 

 season; the first brood is dimorphic, one form, marcellus, 

 appearing with the peach-blossoms ; the other, telamoni- 

 des, some weeks thereafter; the second and later broods, 

 ajax proper, also differ from either of the preceding; mar- 

 cellus disappears about the first of June, telamonides during 

 the same month, while the earliest ajax appear by the time 

 that marcelltis has gone, flying with telamonides; there- 

 after the broods seem to overlap so that they are not easy 

 to distinguish. The eggs, which are oblate spheroidal in 

 shape and pea-green in color, afterward turning black, are 

 laid singly, usually on the upper surface of a leaf and in 

 from four to eight days according to the time of year. The 

 young caterpillar usually devours most of its egg-shell be- 

 fore feeding on the 2")apaw (Asimina) on which it is to live. 



