FAMILY SKIPPERS. 165 



late in July, then flying until September. The eggs are 

 very broad sugar-loaf-shapecl, broader than high and with 

 vertical ribs which are very coarse and thick at summits, 

 of a yellow color inclining to carneous, and are laid singly 

 on the upper surface of leaves; they hatch in about five 

 days. The caterpillar feeds princij^ally upon Chenopodia- 

 ceae and Aramantaceae, especially Chenopodium and Ara- 

 mantus ; when young, nests are made like those of t.he young 

 Thanaos; later a whole leaf is used, bent at the midrib 

 and the edges fastened at wide intervals by very short 

 strands of white silk; these nests are entirely closed with 

 silk previous to a moult, and similarly closed and lined 

 when prepared for the winter's sojourn. The chrysalis 

 state lasts seven or eight days. 



Anotlier species of tliis genus, P. haylmrdii, found in tlie Southern 

 States, occurs as far north as Kansas, West Virginia and Maryland. 



53. Genus Hesperia. 



HESPERIA MONTIVAGA— THE VAUIEGATED TESSELLATE. 



(Pyrgus monti vagus, Hesperia tessellata, Syrichtus communis.) 



Butterfly. — Upper surface of wings blackish brown, largely 

 checkered with white spots, prominent among which is a broad 

 median series of squarish spots, longer than broad, a premar- 

 ginal series of small triangidar or squarish spots, followed by a 

 row of dots ; and on the fore wings, between the two principal 

 series in the upper half of the wing, two series of elongate white 

 spots. On the under side of both wings these markings are 

 repeated, but on the hind wings, the ground of which is greenish 

 brown, there is also a basal white band. Expanse 1^ inches. 



Caterpillar. — Head piceous, the summits rounded. Body 

 naked, brietiy pilose, green with a dark interrupted dorsal line, 

 dark lateral bands, and a pallid band below the spiracles ; tho- 

 racic shield blackish brown ; second pair of legs resembling the 

 first pair rather than the second. Length f inch. 



Chrysalis. — Body slender, the abdomen (exclusive of tail-piece) 

 longer than the rest of the body, posterior lip of thoracic spiracle 

 elevated, flaring ; equal apical portion of tail-piece as seen from 



