HKSPERIDI: THE GENUS PHOLISORA. 1517 



the body, tapering tuwanl either eiul, but more rejfiilarly aiul gently behind; trans- 

 versely arched with a somewhat flattened ventral surface, the last abdominal segment 

 not sreatly broader than long, regularly romuled behind, the first thoracic segment 

 with the usual dorsal sliield, transversely sulcate almost to the si)iracles ; the posterior 

 transverse intersegmental folds of the abdominal joints tliree in number and occupying 

 together about two-thirds the space of the broad anterior section, which is partially 

 divided by a transverse crease in the ndddle of its posterior two-thirds, and has, 

 mesially, on the abdominal segments, a series of minute, snprastigmatal lenticles, no 

 larger than the low papillae, and a series of sliglitly larger, minute, circular, laterodor- 

 sal lenticles. Legs and prolegs very short. 



Chrysalis. Moderately slender, well rounded ; viewed from the side the upper sur- 

 face has two gentle curves, on either side of the dividing line between the thorax and 

 the abdomen, of about ecpial height, or the thoracic the higher and in any case stronger, 

 and rather stronger behind than in front; the head tapers both below and above, so 

 that there is no apparant bending downward of the head; viewed from above the body 

 is nearly equal from the basal wing tubercle to the tips of the wings, but with an exceed- 

 ingly gentle fnllnoss, so as to be broadest at about the second abdominal segment; 

 posterior to this the abdomen tapers with moderate rapidity to what, but for the cre- 

 master, would be a bluntly rounded extremity ; the basal wing tubercle scarcely in the 

 least prominent and rounded, with a scarcely perceptible carina following it posteriorly 

 to the middle of the wing cases, but so rounded as to be extremely obscure; front 

 broadly rounded, but the basal antenual joints and front proper with independent 

 arcuation, that of the front the stronger; the tongue sheaths show a distinct, though 

 slight, rounded prominence, as far from their extreme base as this from the front of the 

 head ; a transverse series of suppressed tubercles crosses the appendages of the fi'ont, 

 midway between the base of the tongue cases and the tip of the antennae; the latter 

 fall as far short of the extremity of the wings as they are beyond this transverse tnber- 

 culation, while the tongue barely surpasses the extremity of the wing cases ; hairs of the 

 body long, slender, smooth, straight, regularly tapering to a tine point. The preanal 

 button consists of a pair of broad, reniform, independently swollen plates in a common 

 field, separated from each other by a straight, tine sulcation and from the surrounding 

 region by a deeper, sharply marked sulcation. Cremaster strongly contracted at the very 

 base, the portion beyond as viewed from above mMrly (juadrate, with broadly rounded 

 apex and rounded external angles, very deeply and triangularly sulcate basally, not ex- 

 tending over half its length; beneath with a broad, rounded excavation; the whole 

 depressed, tapering slightly as viewed from the side. Hooklets wholly apical, not 

 numerous but crowded, strongly arcuate, enlarging from near the base to tip, forming 

 short, strongly compressed hooks, often tightly coiled, the extreme tip bluntly pointed. 



This American genus contains but few species, which are found in 

 southern North America and northern Central America exclusive of the 

 Antilles. The most widely extended species is that described below, 

 which is spread over most of the United States including the southern 

 portion of New England. 



The butterflies are of small size, with ample wings, shaped as in the 

 preceding genus. They are very dark, idniost black, and uniform in 

 appearance, having scarcely any other markings than a few small, white 

 spots in an arcuate row upon the outer half of the fore wings. 



The history of our northern species is best known ; this is multibrooded 

 and hibernates as a mature caterpillar, changing to chr3-sali8, without 

 feeding, in the early spring. The caterpillar feeds on plants of the 

 Amaranth family and its immediate allies, and the butterfly frequents 

 the open country. 



