THE SUlil'AMlLY SATYKINAE. 117 



Mature caterpillar. Iloacl well rounded, smaller than tlie larj^est part of the abdo- 

 iiH'ii, ultlioiiiiii iKit always of a less size than the first tlioracic se.<;nient, witli no pro- 

 tMbcrances, exce|)tiii.u,- at tlie sununit, ■\vliich sometimes bears on either side a lonj;, 

 strai^^Iit, conieal horn. liody nearly or cpiite cylindrical, lar^jest at or in advance 

 of tlie middle, taperini; more or less tOAvard eitlier end ; tlie terminal sesjment loufii- 

 tudinally forked, each fork extending Ijackward as a conical projection, often of 

 considerable leniith. Legs and pi'olegs short but not very stout. Surface of the body 

 profusely studded Avith papillae, each giving rise to a very short hair; ornamented with 

 longitudinal colored bands, some of which are frequently composed of oblicjue dashes, 

 one to a segment. Tlie segments are cut by transverse incisions, usually into six 

 sections, the front one the largest, the last incision frecjuently obscure. 



Chrysalis. Head scarcely at all or but little produced in front; the anterior curve 

 of the thorax very high; ocellar prominences often not at all ])ronounced. Abdomen 

 broadly roinuletl, not deeply separated from the thorax, the lower surface of the body 

 nearly straight, slightly and broadly curved; the Avhole body well rounded, Avith feAv 

 or no tubercles excepting the slight projections at base of Avings; edges of the wings 

 very slightly raised above the level of the body and not at all thickened at the border, 

 but generally carinate from the wing tubercle backAvard. 



Characteristics of the group. The butterflies of this subfamily pre- 

 tjcut among Nymphalidae a very distinctive appearance. Their sombre 

 hues, ahuost always, and In eastern North America invariably, inclining 

 to dark brown ; their markings, mostly confined to round ocellated spots 

 upon the under and to some extent upon the upper surface, near and 

 parallel to the outer border (oftenest occuring in the lower sul)costal and 

 lower median interspaces) ; together with the delicate texture of the 

 membrane of the wings, the suppleness of the nervures, which are usually 

 inflated at the base (a character, however, not foimd in some exotic 

 genera and shared by some genera in neighboring subfamilies) ; and the 

 excessive atrophy of the fore legs in the males — all combine to separate 

 these insects from those of any other large group. 



There is no doubt that in many cases the sombre markings in this group 

 are instances of protective resemblance, the under surface of the hind 

 winas beinfj marbled or mottled with darker and lighter colors, in such a 

 way as to render the insect very diflficult to see wdien alighted, for instance, 

 upon a gray rock. That this is its purpose is indicated, not only by the 

 invariable habit of insects of this subfamily to alight with closed Avings, 

 showing only their under surface, but their very common trick of imme- 

 diately dropping the front wdngs into concealment between the hinder 

 pair, and also of tipping over to one side and resting in a half reclining 

 posture, the gray Aving against the gray rock. 



The caterpillars may be readily recognized by the peculiar bifurcation 

 of the terminal segment of the body, shai-ed Avitli us only by the genus 

 Chlorippe ; they are almost invariably — Avith us, ahvays, so far as is 

 kuow^n — clothed only Avith a short but coarse pubescence arising from 

 papillae so numerous a^ to give a shagreened appearance to the skin,* and 



* 13oi^duval de:>erii)es the hairs on the body of one speeies as bitid. 



