II IK LAWS or COI.OUAriON'AI, I'AI rKHX. 171 ;j 



The cntci-pilliu-s fuud principully on grnsses, fonstriicting bctwct-ii tlic 

 l)liide.s a tbolilc jriui/c-like tiiljiilar niwt, in wliicli tlu^y reniiiiii when nut 

 feeding; tlieir lial>it,s are very similar to those of tlie spi'cii'.s of Atrytone. 

 Abbot luul Cha|.niaii iiavc Inunil tiie southern kinds on Diehionjcna, 

 Cliidiuni and Zi/aniu, besides on Sabid, one of the Pahniie, and oven 

 on Tnigopogon (salsify) one of the (Joinpositae. IJoisdnval and Lc Conte 

 figure L. arpa on Dicliroinena leueoeephala, the saw grass, but Dr. Cliap- 

 nian reared it on/he^saw pahnetto, 8abal serruhita, and thinks it docs not 

 live on the former, thougli L. pahitka docs ; Abliot in his notes gives both 

 Diclu'omena ixwd Tragopogon niiitabilis. 



Tlie eggs are not very high, and arch from tiic very base. The cater- 

 piUars wiien born are unusually slender, with moderate dorsal bristles, but 

 exceptionally long ones on the last segment, twice as long as the width of 

 the body. The mature caterpillars arc moderately slender, almost e([ual 

 sided but largest behind the middle, griseous, with black heads and thoracic 

 shields, the latter^in a pallid setting. The chrysalids are moderately slender, 

 green and gray, with broad, well rounded heads, tongues whicli extend 

 to the end of the seventh abdominal segment, and strongly depressed, 

 almost laminate cremaster. 



In his recent lists Edwards has curiously separated the species of tiiis 

 group (which are very closely allied) by wide intervals, interpolating be- 

 tween them forms with very different structure, such as Euphyes, Calpodes, 

 Oligoria and Lcrcnia, for which he gives no reason whatever. It is a good 

 illustration of the small attention given to the structure of these insects. 



EXCURSUS LXXIT.— TIIE LAWS OF COLORATIONAL 



PATTERN. 



. . . The biittertlies, 

 Crimson and blue iintl amber— flitted thick. 



Aknold.— TAe Light of Asia. 



It is not simply by tiie similar character of the minuter structure of the 

 bodv, — the form and jointage of the antennae and palpi, the ncuration and 

 shape of the wings, or the armature of the legs, that neighboring butter- 

 flies show their relationship to one another. To an equal degree this 

 affinity appears in the disposition . of the colors upon the surface of the 

 win^s. In general, therefore, but of course with some exceptions, the 

 affinities of a strange butterfly may be told by an expert at a glance ; its 

 very livery betrays its origin. Nor is it strange that this should be so. 

 One of the characteristic features of the Lepidoptcra, of which the butter- 

 flies are the highest expression, is their possession of broad membranous 

 wings covered with pigment-bearing scales, and it is through the varied 

 development and distribution of that pigment that natural selection has 

 had the best chance to work. 



