FAMILY NYMPHALID^. 209 



Vanessa urtic.e? Tortoise-shell Bullerjly. (Plato xlvi, figs. 8, 9, 10.) 



Papilio rKTiciE ( LinnajiLs). 



Upper sides of both pair of wings bright red-orange, dark at the l)ase, and covered with 



long olivo-l)ro\vn hairs. Costal niarginof the forewiiigs niariio<l with three large black 



siiI)4uadrato sjwts : between these s])ots, jiale orange, with a ^vluti^ll figure towards the 



apex, but within tlie burdi-r. Indt-r the tJiree black spots mentioned, there are three 



(juadrangular spots upon the disk : the one nearest the; base, rectangular and largest, 



and bonlered on the outer edge with yellowish ; alnjve which are the two smaller 



spots. Exterior niai'gin of both pair of wings black, and ornauiented all around with 



blue lunules : beneath, the basal half of the hind-pair is nearly black ; outside of 



■which there is a belt of brown marked transversely by darker lines, and then the 



blackish border ornamented with obscure or black lunules. On the forewings there is 



a large pale orange patch, corresponding to the reddish orange markings above. 



Antenn.k : rings marked with white and brown ; knob brown, terminated with pale 



orange ; palpi gray, from an intermixtiue of white and lirown haiis. Exiian.*e of 



wijig, 1 .J - 3 inches. 



I am unable to say w hether this is a common species in this State, or not : it has been 



taken in the vicinity of Albany this season (1853), and 1 believe frecjuently. It resembles 



Say's V.furccllata, obtained in the Northwest Territory ; but in the latter there are two 



subquadrate yellow and reddish spots near the costa upon the black ground, and the broad 



belt is orange, bearing upon the costa a large black spot. 



Vanessa atalanta ( Fabricius, Curtis, Stephens). Papilio atulanta (Stephens). 



Base of the anterior wings rich brown ; of the apical half, brownish black with a tinge of 

 blue, in which there is a series of white spots arranged in a curved line, the two 

 largest spots separated by the two smallest. Between the broad orange fiiscise and the 

 series of white spots, there is a large white spot upon the costa. The orange fascia 

 crosses the wing, but does not quit the posterior angle : the scollopped edges are 

 trimmed with white. Posterior wing, two-thirds of the basal part rich velvety brown, 

 ornamented with a broad border similar in color to the fascia of the forewing, and 

 dotted through its middle with black, besides the two confluent blue spots of the 

 anal angle. Beneath, the forewings are black ; and between the middle orange I'and 

 and base, there are red and blue lines : apex ashy brown. The hindwings are brown, 

 black and grayish, traversed transversely by black narrow interrui>ted wavy I ands : 

 beneath the orange belt the color is ashen, maiked with black angular lines. On the 

 costal margin there is an ashen patch, with a darker middle. 

 [ Agricultuiial Report — Vol. v.] 27 



