Genus Melitsea 
While engaged in so doing, the window of the house across the 
way was thrown up, and an elderly female thrust her head out, 
and in strident voice exclaimed: “Hey, there! What are you 
doin’ with that ham ? I say, don’t you know that that ham is 
spiled?” As he paid no attention to her, she presently appeared 
at the door, came across the street, and remarked: “See here, 
mister; that ham’s spiled; Lucy and me throwed it out, knowin’ 
it was no good. If you want a good meal of wittles, come into 
the house, and we will feed you, but for mercy’s sake leave that- 
spiled ham alone.” It took considerable effort to assure her that 
no designs upon the ham were cherished, and she went away, 
evidently completely mystified at the wild conduct of the well- 
dressed man who was grubbing in the rubbish-pile. 
Genus MELI 1 VEA, Fabricius 
(The Checker-spots) 
** The fresh young Flie, . . . 
. . . joy’d to range abroad in fresh attire, 
Through the wide compass of the ayrie coast; 
And, with unwearied wings, each part t’ inquire 
Of the wide rule of his renowned sire.” 
Spenser. 
Butterfly. —Small. The tibiae and the tarsi of the mesothoracic 
and metathoracic legs are more lightly armed with spines than in 
the genera Argynnis and Brenthis. The palpi are not swollen. 
They are clothed with long hairs and have the third joint finely 
pointed. The antennae are about half as long as the costa of the 
fore wings, and are provided with a short, heavy, excavated, or 
spoon-shaped club. The -subcostal of the fore wings is five- 
branched, the first nervule always arising before the end of the 
cell, the second at the end or just beyond it. The cell of the pri¬ 
maries is closed, of the secondaries open. The markings upon the 
wings are altogether different from those in the two preceding 
genera, and the spots on the under side of the wings are not 
silvered, as in the genus Brenthis. 
Egg .—The egg is rounded at the base, subconical, truncated, 
and depressed at the upper end and fluted by light raised ridges 
(see p. 4, Fig. 8). 
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