234 



NA T URE-STUD Y RE VIEW [13 :6— Sept., 1917 



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 lower sides of the wings are m.ottled in 

 dull colors so that they resemble dead leaves or grass. All one of 

 these butterflies has to do to becom.e invisible when resting on the 

 ground, is to close its wings above its back, and it is then almost 

 impossible for the eye to detect it. The Violet Tip. — 



This is the largest 

 of the polygons and 

 the most graceful 

 in form of all but- 

 terflies. It winters 

 as an adult. The 

 caterpillar is yel- 

 lowish-brown with 

 irregular spots and 

 marks of lighter 

 color. It has many 

 branching spines, 

 one pair being on 

 the top of the head. 

 It feeds on elm, 

 hop, nettle, linden 

 and hackberry. 



The Hop Merchant. — This looks on the upper side like a dwarf 

 violet tip, for the margins of the wings are tinged with violet. It 

 hibernates as a butterfly 

 and is one of the earliest 

 that we see in the woods 

 in the spring. Its cater- 

 pillar is about an inch 

 long, dark brown or 

 greenish with blotches 

 and lines and adorned 

 with thorny spines one 

 pair of which is on the 



head. It feeds on hops, ^^^ ^^^ ^Merchant 



rioffl^ r.^A 1 rr^-u Expansc two inchcs. Color bright orange-red 



nettle and elm. The with black spots. The borders of the 



chrysalis is a beautiftll wings dark brown shading off to violet at the 



r^K-;o^■^ r..^r.^ ^ J -^t- margin. The "initial" on the lower side 



object ornamented with of the hind wings is like a badly made G. 



The Violet Tip 

 Expanse two and one-half to three inches. Color 

 rich orange red spotted with black. The margins 

 of the wings and tails violet color. The hind 

 wing bearing a large silver semicolon on the 

 lower side, shown at the right. 



