1012 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND 



est width being reached in the middle of the third segment, and nearly maintained to the 

 middle of the next, and tlien rapidly fallins; off with a regular slope to the end of the 

 seventh segment; beyond this the abdomen expands again slightly, the final segments 

 forming a curious flaring expansion which rests flat upon the surface of p\ipation and 

 beneath which the equally flattened cremaster is hidden, with its s\ibrocnmbent hooks. 

 Viewed laterally, the curve of the thorax forms the quadrant of a circle, the front 

 rising rapidly, the whole thorax bluntly carinate mesially ; considerably above this 

 rises the globose portion of the abdomen with indepedently arched segments, its pos- 

 terior curve continued in a straight slope to the tip. The basal wing tubercles are 

 rather prominent liut broadly rounded and slightly tubercnlate, an interrupted, blunt 

 carina follows the middle line of the abdomen, and the dorsum of the second, third 

 and to a less extent the fourth abdominal segments has a transverse, mesial series of 

 blunt and small tubercles. The under surface is perfectly flat and smooth. The girth 

 falls in the incision between the first and second abdominal segments. The tongue 

 cases are exposed only a little more tlian half way from their base to the tip of the 

 wings. 



Distribution and characteristics. This strictly American genus con- 

 tains but a single species, which has a greater latitudinal distribution 

 than any other of our CInysophanidi, as will be seen under the species. 

 The genus differs more from our other Chrysophanidi than they differ 

 among: themselves, whether in the structure or markings of the imago or 

 in the characters of the earlier stages. Indeed its affinities are with some 

 Indian forms and it bears a certain curious resemblance to tlie butterfly from 

 northern China, first described by Bremer-Gray under the name of Thecia 

 fusca ; I have been unable to make any examination of tlie latter. The but- 

 terflies are among the largest of the tribe and the wings are unusually deli- 

 cate in structure, more elongate than common and subquadrate in form. 

 The ground color of the upper surface may be considered fulvous although 

 so largely encroached upon by dark l)rown in the upper half of both wings 

 and the outer border of the front pair as to be scarcely predominant : in the 

 fore wing the dark borders leave only the bright disc and this is nearly 

 divided transversely ; beneath, the wings are pale reddish brown, the fore- 

 wings pale on the disc, and both wings, especially the hinder pair, mottled 

 with pretty large, white edged, dark spots, which on the hind wings arg 

 arranged in transverse series. 



The butterflies are polygoneutic, hibernating in the chrysalis and per- 

 haps in the imago state. They first ajipcar on the wing very early in 

 spring. They are very local, being found only in wet and shady places. 



The eggs are remarkable for the great number of the cells which cover 

 the surface and the slightness of their bounding walls ; they are flattened 

 spheroidal in shape and are laid upon twigs in the immediate neighbor- 

 hood of plant-lice. 



' The carnivorous caterpillar. For the most interesting feature about 

 the insect is the carnivorous character of the caterpillar, which feeds ex- 

 clusively upon plant-lice and appears to choose those which congregate in 

 masses and exude a cottony secretion. It is interesting in this connection 



