1256 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



8tri[)cs, often traversing l)i)th wings Ijut mast abundant in the cell of the 

 fore wings ; the hind wings generally have a red spot or ocellus at the 

 anal angle and the under surface differs from the upper less than usual, 

 even upon the outer half of the hind wings. The antennae have a strongly 

 curved club and are shorter than in the other New England genera. They 

 are also peculiar for the shortness of the legs and particularly of the middle 

 and hind tibiae and the tarsi of the middle leg. 



The insects are many brooded and hibernate as chrysalids. The earlier 

 and late ofenerations of those that are best known differ from each other 

 and one at least of the species is polymorphic and presents a remarkable 

 history which will be found in detail below. The buttei-flies are generally 

 very numerous in individuals ; "they all frequent the open country. The 

 tropic^al species congregate in immense numbers to imbibe the moisture on 

 the humid margins of lakes, rivers and muddy places generally" (Bates). 



Thev "have a low rapid, imsteady flight, generally amongst the scat- 

 tered Ijrushwood on the skirts of forests or in old neglected plantations ; 

 they take long circuits, returning after the lapse of a few minutes in the 

 same direction and often in precisely the same track they have just passed 

 over" (Doubleday). 



The European I. podalirius, according to Mejer Diir, is found in Switzer- 

 land to the height of 3000 feet and is rather an inhabitant of hilly and 

 mountainous regions than of the lowlands ; it has a magnificent sailing 

 flight. 



The eggs are laid singly upon the upper surfaces of leaves, and hatch 

 in a week or less ; the caterpillars feed separately, principally on Anona- 

 ceae and Rosaceae and make no attempt at concealment ; they are extremely 

 offensive from the odor emitted by the osmateria, although Lacordaire 

 says that I. podalu-ius exhales an odor of musk (Ann. soc. ent. France, ii : 

 383). The chrysalids hang for about a fortnight. 



The metamorphoses of several species are known. The eggs are green 

 in color, spheroid in shape, about one millimetre high, with no secretion 

 upon them. The caterpillars at birth are cylindrical but largest in front 

 and bear several rows of warts, larger in front and behind than in the 

 middle, each of which bristles with a number of diverging needles, some 

 of which are widely forked at tip, a remarkable peculiarity rarely found 

 among arthi'opods.* The mature cater])illars are naked, largest at the 

 hindmost thoracic segment and taper toward each end ; their osmateria 

 are of unusual length and their body is ornamented with transverse stripes 

 or rows of small spots, the most conspicuous of which are on the anterior 

 portion of each segment. 



*Souie Sphiugidiie in their earliest stase (or this feature, and similar structures are 



have the caudal honi biHd at tip. Reaumur known in the subfamily Diaspinae among 



figures a sawfly larvae with bifld spines. Coecidao, and in the early staires of certain 



some carboniferous myriapods are remark.able Crustacea. 



