BUTTERFLY VISION. 1669 



spicuously the upper surface also, broken by dellcaie raiseil lines iulu a series of puii- 

 taitonal ami hexagonal cells. .0127 mm. in wUlth. 



Caterpillar at birth. Ileail very larjte. globose, pyramidal. Porsal thoracic 

 shield moderately broad, broadest in the middle, extendinij intcrniptedly by the aid of 

 a transverse, somewhat lunate piece to the sti<;mata. Body slig;htly largest in the 

 middle, gently taperinij; toward either end; fnrnished with several series of minute 

 papillae supporting long, straight, wine-glass shaped bristles arranged as follows: a 

 laterodorsal series, one to a segment, placed In the middle of the anterior half and 

 erect; a lateral series post-central. one to a segment, the bristles directed forward; a 

 suprastigm.ital series, one to a segment, placed anteriorly and erect; and an iufrastig- 

 matal series, two to a segment on either side of the middle. 



This genus, witli a single species, is a characteristic Allcghanian type ; 

 it occurs in the southern lialt" of New England, sometimes in abundance, 

 rarely in the northern portions. 



The butterflies are similar in size to those of Atalopedes, or even slightly 

 larger, and are the largest of tiiis tribe found in New England, except- 

 ing the tropical Calpodes and the southern Phycanassa. The males are 

 furnished with a discal streak on the fore wings, similar to that of the 

 genus Erynnis. Above, the wings are tawny, obscured with dusky and 

 broadly bordered with dark brown in the male, dark brown tinged with 

 tawny at the base and with a transverse, e.xtra-mesial. tawny band in the 

 female. Ik'neath. tlic wings are much darker, with a pale, extra-mesial 

 band. 



The butterflies are swift and strong of flight and are single brooded, 

 hibernating as caterpillars while still quite young and only appearing on 

 the wing late in the season — toward the end of August. Beyond this, 

 their history is imperfectly known. They love the hottest sunshine and 

 mingle in companies on autumn flowers. 



The eggs are large, domed and high, of a chalky white. The cater- 

 pillars at birth are slender, pallid, witli a l)lack head and thoracic shield ; 

 dorsal appendages less than half as long as the segments, and some long, 

 recurved hairs behind longer than the segments ; after the first moult they 

 at once become flecked with black dots, but the later changes are unknown. 



EXCURSUS LXIX.— BUTTERFLY VISION. 



Little fly, Am not I For I dance, 



Thy summer's play A fly like thee? And drink, and sing, 



My thoughtless hand Or art not thon Till some blind hand 



Has brusii'd away. A man like nic? Shall brush my wing. 



If thought is life Then am I 



And strength and breath, A happy fly, 



And the want If I live 



Of thought is death: Ur if I die. 



William Blake.— The Fly. 



\'isiON in insects with compound eyes has been a subject of discussion 

 for very many years and the opinions of naturalists regarding it have dif- 

 fered from time to time very considerably. The question has recently 



