432 ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-YORK 



CUERAXT. LEAVES. 



lo-wer end as at its upper; its lower part is commonly shorter but is sometimes 

 of the same length with the upper portion; the angle is sometimes but little 

 obtuse, the mark then closely resembling the letter L; the concavity sometimes 

 fiices the hind margin near the outer angle of the wing, and sometimes opens 

 towards the outer margin forward of this angle, this last variety being- 

 described as a distinct species under the name of C-argenteum by Mr. Kirby 

 An irregular wavy interrupted streak of brilliant green-blue scales extends 

 across the hind wings forward of their hind border and is continued half way 

 across the fore wings. This streak is irregularly margined with black and fades 

 to faint gi'cen, and in some individuals can scarcely be discerned, especially upon 

 the hind wings. The hodij is black with a brilliant green-blue reflection to the 

 thorax and is clothed with tawny yellow hairs. The antennae are black and 

 alternated along their sides with white, and wholly white beneath, the knob 

 being black and its tip straw yellow. 



Though this butterfly has been met with from the latitude of 

 Lake Winnipeg to the southern West India islands, and from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific coast, it does not anywhere appear to be 

 numerous, and will probably seldom if ever occur in our gardens 

 in such profusion as to do any appreciable injury. Indeed most 

 persons will desire to cherish and protect these pretty " winged 

 flowers," and domesticate them as much as possible in the yards 

 around their dwellings, rather than to destroy and expel them. 

 Although their larvae covered with prickles have a repulsive^ 

 aspect, they all disappear from the currant buslies before we have 

 occasion to go near them to gather their fruit. Should these worms 

 however become so numerous in any instance as to be detrimental, 

 picking off each leaf on which they are stationed and crushing it 

 beneath the foot will probably be found the only effectual mode 

 of destroying them. 



143. AVniTE-C BUTTERFLY, Vancssa (Grapto) C-album, Lmn. 



Eating the leaves the fore part of August, a prickly worm very 

 similar to the preceding, but of a brownish red color in front and 

 white or pale yellow i:>osteriorly, its pupa state continuing about 

 sixteen days and the butterfly appearing in September, its wings 

 scalloped, the hind pair tawny yellow shaded to dusky brown on 

 their hind margin and with a black spot on their centre as well 

 as two others towards their base, and on their under sides with a 

 central sivery curved mark like a letter C. Width about 2.00. i 



Like the Vanessa Antiopa^ Atalanta and several other butterflies, 

 this species is common to both sides of the Atlantic. Dr. Harris 



