Academy ob' Science. 29 



tip, and is strongly arclied, beius separated from tlie body 0.33 inch uear its base 

 and just toucliiug the breast at its tip. 



The imago appears from May fifteenth to June fifteenth. 



Lawrence, Kan., Oct. 1, 1875. 



CATALOGUE OF THE LEPIDOPTERA OF EAST- 

 ERN KANSAS. 



By Prof. F. H. Snow, of the Univei-sity of Kansas. 



The following preliminary catalogue of the butterflies and moths of Kansas in- 

 cludes no species with which the writer has not made a personal acquaintance. 

 With the exception of twenty of the moths, all the species are represented in the 

 collections of the University of Kansas, haA'ing been taken within five miles of 

 Lawrence, in Douglas county, thirty miles -west of the Missouri river In order to 

 make this list of some practical value to our fruit-growers, farmers, and students of 

 natural history, brief descriptions and notes are given, and the food-plant of each 

 species is stated when known. From the notes it will be seen that this order of 

 insects is not composed of mere harmless creatures, without claim to attention and 

 study except for their marvelous beauty of ornamentation. Each species has its 

 peculiar food-plant, upon which it feeds with great voracity during the entire period 

 of its existence as a "larva" or caterpillar. In tlie "imago," or perfect condition, 

 the Lepidoptera feed chieflj- upon the nectar of flowers, doubtless performing an 

 important part in their fertilization, and are entirelj- harmless except as depositing 

 eggs for new broods of caterpillars. The question whether a given species is inju- 

 rious to mankind will depend entirel}' upon the value of its food-plant. In the 

 majority of cases, by " chasing a butterfly" and destroying it, one would render a 

 service to humanity in the prevention of injury to some valuable crop. 



Substantial aid in making collections has been rendered by students of the Uni- 

 versity, among whom special mention should be made of Mr. Geo. F. Gaumei'. 

 Thanks are due to Mr. W. H. Edwards, of Coalburgh, West Virginia, for valuable 

 aid in the determination of the butterflies, which include the first eight families. 

 Other acknowledgements will be made iii their appropriate places. 



FAMILY I. 



PAPILIONID.-E ; SWALLOW-TAILS. 



This family, named from the unusual length of the tips of the hind pair of wmgs, 

 is represented by six species, all belonging to the genus 



Papilio Linnaeus. 



(Each species with a crimson or orange spot on the inner margin of the hind 

 wings.) 



1. PMlenor Linn. — Black, with bluish-green metalliclustre upon the hind wings. 

 Expands 3)^ to 43^ inches. Comparatively rare ; the caterpillar feeds on the Vir- 

 ginia snakeroot and two other species of the genus Aristolochia. The fact that these 

 plants are not indigenous in this locality, and are but rarely cultivated in gardens, 

 accounts for the scarcity of this butterfly. 



