152 THE COMMOXER BUTTERFLIES. 



orange lunule. Under surface mostly clay-yellow, the markings 

 of the upper surface repeated considerably modified, with great 

 extension of yellow, the hind wings with a median lunulate black 

 belt, marked with blue and centrally with orange. Abdomen 

 with yellow sides. Expanse 4-5 1 inches. 



Caterpillar. — Head brown. Body naked, much swollen 

 anteriorly, ferruginous brown with a lateral stripe in front, the 

 hinder end of which (including two or three segments and a broad 

 saddle in the middle) is cream yellow, flecked with brownish, as 

 other parts of the back are slenderly streaked with dirty yellow. 

 Length more than 2 inches. 



Chrysalis. — Body roughened and a little bent, the wing-cases 

 protuberant beneath, all the larger projections anterior and 

 directed forward ; griseous or dead-leaf brown, often tinged with 

 green and more or less marked with dark brown, especially in 

 front, on the wings except apically, and on the sides of the basal 

 segments of the abdomen. Length more than H inches. 



This largest of our butterflies is a tropical species^ but 

 it extends far northward and in recent years has invaded 

 our district, where it is now occasionally found in scattered 

 localities in all the southern portions, having even occurred 

 within thirty miles of Montreal. It rests with its wings 

 expanded and a little dej^ressed and has a sailing flight. 

 It hibernates as a chrvsalis and in our district is double- 

 brooded, the first brood appearing early in June and the 

 second at the end of July and much later, flying through 

 September. The eggs, which are subspherical and overlaid 

 by a brownish -yellow secretion, are deposited singly on the 

 tips of the budding leaves in spring, on the older leaves and 

 the twigs later in the year, and hatch in ten or twelve 

 days, or sooner according to some. The caterpillar will 

 probably feed upon any plants of the Eue family and is 

 particularly addicted to the orange, which it sometimes 

 defoliates; it has also been found on plants of allied 

 families; it eats leaves and also the tenderer shoots, and 

 when young remains on the under side of the leaves and 

 devours only the tenderer parts between the ribs of older 



