TlIK WAYS OF BUTTERFLIES. 491 



be (listing-uishcd from those of the preceding genera by tlicir naked eyes. 

 The sexes scarcely differ. 



The butterflies are at least double-brooded and hibernate in the imaffo 

 state ; the caterpillars live openly upon various polypctalous angiosperms, 

 but especially upon Scrophulariaceae, Acanthaceae and allied families ; 

 some also on vVmarantaceae, an apetalous plant. The chrysalids hang for 

 a week or fortnight ; little is known of the structure or pcjsition of the 

 egg, or of the habits of the caterpillar. The butterflies frequent open 

 grounds and delight in hot sunshine ; they are strong in flight with the 

 same combination of wariness and daring which characterizes the habits 

 of our other Vanessidi, "having," says Bates (Journ. entom., 18()4, 193- 

 194), "very little of the floating motion of the typical Nymphalinae, and 

 flying near the ground in open, flowery and bushy places." De Niceville 

 remarks (Butt. India, ii : 66) that "they have a rapid flight but seldom 

 go far before settling, which they do with expanded wings often on the 

 bare ground, frequently on flowers." 



The eggs resemble in form those of Vanessa, and in the fewness of their 

 vertical ribs the Pyrameis section of the same. 



The caterpillars at birth are unknown ; but the mature larvae are pro- 

 vided with shorter spines than those of the preceding genera, and are dark 

 in color with several longitudinal, paler and brighter, equal bands. The 

 head is also crowned by spines, somewhat as in Polygonia and other genera.* 



The chrysalis resembles that of Vanessa but is less prolonged anteriorly 

 and not so tuberculate ; it is of a brownish color with dusky shades and 

 more or less mottled. 



EXCURSUS XIV.— THE WAYS OF BUTTERFLIES. 



His gorgeous plumes were a little worn ; "For your rose is burning sweet ; in fine 



One ?ii)len(li(l wing was a trifle torn ; She is over-sweet to a taste like mine ; 



And the sea>on w'aned. '"How can it be Too rich, too much, to one who has seen 



That I stand with my life unlived?" said he. In a garden beyond, the lily queen. 



"Heigho!" said the butterfly, I saw the lily, and all was o'er, 



"Would that I knew the reason why. The rose could reign in my lieart no more. 



"Surely I loved the violet pure, "Creamy white is the perfect hue. 



And day by day to her nook obscure Cold she seemed ; with a great ado 



I lowered my glorious wings and quafled I won my welcome. Too late I see 



With a constant mind her perfumed draught. She cannot command the depths in me. 



But how strangely coarse her foliage grows ; Heigho !" said the butterfly, 



Besides, — at that inomcut I saw the rose. ""\Miat is it ails each love I try y" 



"I saw the rose, and I knew my fate. And the season waned. No more ho flies; 



Slow she unfolded ; I would not wait. On a sunflower's bosom bi'oad he lies. 



But prayed ami fretted from hour to hour, And after all. it is sad, we say, 



Till opeiied at h st the perfect flower. To think he has thrown hims'elf away; 



A perfect flower? That cannot be. Could it have been, — the reason why, 



Or how could she lose her hold on me? That any thing ailed the butterfly? 



Eliza Turner.— ^h Old Butterjltj. 



The butterfly is a daughter of high noon and of the sun. Rainy days 

 see none astir. A few will venture out on a didl day, but it needs the 



* Dr. Gundlach writes me that the larva of also black; the body black with lustrous blue 



J. lav in ia, found in Cuba, has a dark orange spines, white or yellowish points at the iucis- 



colored head, black around the frontal trian- ures, and whitish or yellowish infrastigmatal 



glc, with lateral spots and coronal tubercles and macular suprastigmatal bauds. 



