HELICONIA I. 



tlie antennse cases are dark ; abdomen varied in longitudinal strealvs, confined to 

 each segment, dark and light brown, with some oblique whitish marks on the ven- 

 tral side. (Figs, g, g''^'*-) Duration of this stage to 7 days. 



Charitonia is common in parts of Florida, as at Indian River, and is found 

 along the Atlantic coast at least as far northward as Port Royal, S. C. Many 

 years ago, I received examples from Mr. James Postell, St. Sinu;)n's Island, Ga., 

 and was informed that they were confined to one particular locality, a dense 

 tliicket. It is, however, a sub-trojncal species, and it aljounds in the Antilles and 

 Central America. I cannot learn that any record exists of its preparatory stages 

 prior to that given by me in the Canadian Entomologist, vol. xiii., p. 158, 1881. 

 In 1878, 22d Deceml)er, I received from Dr. A. W. Cliapnian, at Apalacliicola, 

 a chrysalis of Charitonia, of which he wrote : " In a flower-[)ot, with a Geranium, 

 sprung up a Passitlora suberosa, a tropical plant, the seeds of wliicli I l>rought 

 from South Florida, in 1875, and liave since cultivated in my garden. About the 

 middle of November, I discovered two caterpillars on the plant, one about one and 

 a half inch long, the other smaller, — white, beset on the segments and headwitli 

 slender black spines. Placing theui in a glass jar, the larger one suspended in 

 two days, the other a week later. Ou Deceuiber 14:tb.tbe last gave l)utterHy, 

 H. Charitonia. The other, wliich I send you, I fear is dead. I suppose they 

 feed on any species of Passitlm-a, of whicli we have two native. Upon these the 

 caterpillars of the few Charitonia seen here must have fed. The pupa is very 

 singular, as you perceive, the ])rojections from the liead reminding one of the 

 horns of some species of scarabuMis. or the claws of a lobster. And then, the 

 golden stripes over the abdominal segments, and the spreading plates behind 

 them ! " 



I learned froui Dr. Wm. Wittfeld that the buttertiy was common at Indian 

 River, and begged him to make observations on the caterpillars, and, if posslljle, 

 obtain eggs. Thereupon, he set himself to examine carefully the leaves of Passi- 

 flora. but for .some time discovered nothing. At last a female was seen ovipositing 

 on the tender, terminal leaves, and thenceforth there was no difficulty in fiudiug 

 eggs. Females tied in bags over the ends of the stems laid abundantly, and several 

 caterpillars were raised to chrysalis and butterlly. Attempts to get either egn's or 

 caterpillars to me failed by reason of the leaves decayiug in the mails. How- 

 ever, I received caterpillars 30th August, 1880. Eggs had been sent, which 

 hatched, and the caterpillars had passed their second moult when I received them. 

 They throve on leaves of Passiflora coerulea, and the larval stages proceeded with 

 rapidity, scarcely more than two days being required for each. 



Dr. Wittfeld states that on touching the chrysalis he observed that it gave out 

 a creaking noise, wriggling about at the same time, and this is stated by Dr. Fritz 



