STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 433 



CURRANT. LEAVES. 



regarded our American insect as different from the European, and 

 accordingly named it V. comma. He supposed the wings to be 

 more deeply scalloped or indented in the European than they are 

 in the American butterfly and that the specimens of the two con- 

 tinents could at once be distinguished by this mark. But how 

 perfectly fallacious this character is will appear from the remark 

 of Mr. Westwood (Humphrey's British Butterflies, p. 50) who, in 

 describing the European insect observes, " This species is subject 

 to an extraordinary variation in the form of its wings. In some 

 specimens the incision in the outer (posterior) margin of the fore 

 wings is so deep that it forms nearly a semicircle, whilst in others 

 it is scarcely more than a sextant; the other indentations being 

 equally varied." Our American specimens vary in the same 

 manner, the principal incision in the fore wings being much 

 deeper than the sixth part of a circle in every instance wliicli I 

 have before me. And on comparing them on the one hand with 

 the descriptions which European authors give of C-albuui, espe- 

 cially that of Mr. Westwood which is most detailed and clearly 

 expressed, and on the other hand with the description wliich Dr. 

 Harris gives of comma, every one must admit that, of the two, 

 the former is plainly the species to which our insect pertains. In 

 every particular they coincide most perfectly with the characters 

 assigned to that species. And when in addition to this we recur 

 to their habits, the larvse subsisting upon the same kinds of vege- 

 tation and two broods coming out each year, not a peg remains 

 on which to hang a doubt as to the identity of our American 

 insect with that of Europe. 



In England this has obtained the common name of the Comma 

 butterfly, and Dr. Harris describes it as having a silvery comma 

 beneath, upon the middle of the hind wings. But in eacli of the 

 several examples which have come under my notice this mark 

 very exactly resembles a letter C and not a comma. A 

 translation of its technical name will theretbre designate it more 

 explicitly than the common name which we meet with in English 

 books. In all its marks except those which we have specified 

 above, it is nearly or (piite identical with the Progne butterfly. 

 The under side of its wings, however, are occupied only in places 

 by transverse black streaks. 



[Ag. Trans.J -Bb 



