Insect Study. 



785 



The Mourning Cloak. 

 — This butterfly which 

 is well known in Europe 

 is very common here. 

 It winters as a butterfly 

 and is the earliest of all 

 our butterflies to appear 

 in the spring. Its cater- 

 pillar is velvety black 

 covered with w h i t e 

 raised dots, and a row 

 of red spots along the 

 middle of the back. It 

 has rows of black spines. 

 It feeds on elm, willow, 

 poplar and other trees. 



THE MOURNING CLOAK 



Expanse, two and one-half to three and one-half 

 inches. Color, purplisli-brown, appearing black 

 when flying. The wings have a broad yellow 

 border sprinkled with brown and just inside the 

 border a row of blue spots. 



The Compton Tor- 

 toise. — This butterfly re- 

 sembles very much the 

 polygonias, even having 

 the " embroidered " in- 

 itial on the lower side of 

 the hind wings. How- 

 ever, it dift'ers in one 

 particular. The hind 

 margin of the front 

 wings is straight and not 

 incurved. Its caterpillar 

 is greenisli in color, 

 more or less speckled 



with lighter color. It 



THE COMPTON TORTOISE 



Expanse, two and one-half inches, mottled with dark 

 red and ochre yellow like the colors of a tortoise 

 shell. A white spot on the front of each wing near 

 the tip. The hind wings on the lower side each bear 

 a small L-shaped silvery or white mark. 



has black, bristly spines, and the caterpillars of the same brood feed in a 

 flock. The food plants are birch and willow. 



THE POLYGONS 



These are distinguished from the other butterflies not only by the 

 sharp notches and angles of the edges of the wings, but also by having 

 the hind margin of the front wing cut out in a graceful curve. Each 

 species has on the lower side of the hind wing near the center an initial 

 or punctuation mark wrought in silver, this mark varying with the species. 

 The flight of the polygons is very erratic; they dash about, making quick 

 angles, so that the eye cannot follow them. While the upper sides of the 

 wings are bright orange red and quite striking, the lowef sides of the 

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