THi: (iENKKA OK CHRYSOPHANIUI. 971 



are niucli more nearly allied than to the Theclidi. Many of the species 

 frequent moist, boggy places, while others rejoice in the full blaze of the 

 sun in arid paf^tiircs or by tiic roadside. Their flight is quick, usually 

 sliort, abrupt and rather iut'requent ; they seldom wander far; like some 

 of their allies they arc often very pugnacious, darting from their resting 

 place at any passing object. 



The insects of this group arc peculiar to the temperate regions. South 

 of the tropics a single species occurs in South America, two or three are 

 found in New Zealand, and large numbers in Africa, though probably not 

 appertaining to genera represented in northern latitudes. The mass of 

 the species, however, are found in the northern hemisphere, and especially 

 in the Old World. "With one exception, the American genera are either 

 identical with or verj- closely allied to those of Europe, and tliis resem- 

 blance is most marked when the species of the western half of the conti- 

 nent are compared with those of the Old World. 



The eggs are more or less echinoid shaped, generally covered with deep 

 and regular depressions. They are laid singly, though often a large 

 number may be found upon the same plant. The larvae are shaped like 

 an oblong, strongly convex shield, and like the Lycaenidi they feed upon 

 herbaceous plants, rarely, however, on Leguminosae, most of them pre- 

 ferring species of Rumex or other Polygonaceae, and they have been known 

 to occur on Solidago and Viola ; in one instance, as we shall see, they are 

 strictly carnivorous. The insects vary considerably iu the number of 

 their generations, some being single, others double, and a few even triple 

 brooded ; some pass the winter in the egg state, others in the chrysalis, 

 and one or two, it is thought, may winter as caterpillars ; the butterflies 

 never hibernate. They differ from other Lycaeninae in their late appari- 

 tion, being seldom seen on the wing before June, but they resemble them 

 in that few of the species fly after August. 



Table of genera of Chrysophanidi, based on the egrj. 



Egg studded with conspicuous sunken cells. 

 Egg regularly tiarate in form; cells small. 



Cells formed in the interspaces of conical protubei-ances Chrysophanus. 



Cells composed of deep circular pits Epideinia. 



Egg broadly and abruptly truncate at base; cells large Heodes. 



Egg nearly smooth, the cells inconsiiicuous in size and depth Feniseca. 



Table of genera, based on the caterpillar at birth. 



Longer bristles at least half the length of the caterpillar ; no large bristles alligued with the 

 lateral annuli. 

 Longer bristles gently arcuate, in the arc of a circle whose radius is twice the width of 



the caterpillar Chrysophanus, Epideniia. 



Longer bristles strongly arcuate, in the arc of a circle whose radius is the width of the 



caterpillar Heodes. 



Longer bristles considerably less than half the length of the caterpiUar; a lateral series of 

 large bristles alligned with the annuli Feniseca, 



