196 MOTHS AND P.UTTERFLTES. 



iuid liair-lilve, and sliowiiio- at a casual glance scarcely more than a 

 point. The lower tails are larger and longer. There is some dif- 

 ference in coloring between the sexes, the female l)eing usuall}^ plain 

 brown in color, while in the male the middle of each wing is tawny 

 or rusty with a l)order of dark biown. The tails are black, tipped 

 with white, and the body is dark brown ; but the distinguishing 

 characteristic is the color of the under side, which in both sexes 



Tliecla siiiilacis. Underside. 



is green. In the upper wings the green color is most intense near 

 their base and at tlie tip, the lower half of the wing being rusty 

 brown. Two rous of white dots, internally edged with reddish 

 Ijrown, cross the upper Avings, fading out toward the lower margin 

 of the wing. The lower wings liave three bands of white, the inner 

 one next the bod}' being short and composed of three white spots 

 edged externally with rust}' l)rown : the middle one extends in a 

 wavy line across the centre of the wing, and is composed of large 

 white spots, having spots of rusty brown on the inner side ; tlie 

 outer band is narrow and follows the outer margin of the wing, being 

 edged internally with gray and externally with dark brown. A 

 small black spot is located at the end of this line, just at the 

 inner angle of the wing, and has a white crescent above it. Between 

 the outer and middle white lines are two very small crescents of 

 black, the lower one having a faint orange spot below it with a 

 black dot below^ that. The body and legs are gray. I have never 

 seen this insect at all abundant and have taken it on but two or 

 three occasions near my home in Massachusetts. It is a difficult 

 little creature to see when at rest on the shrubs and bushes, among 

 which it delights, and wdien disturbed it flies in such a ra})id 

 and jerky manner that the eye can scarcely follow^ it. I have taken 

 it early in June flying about scrub oaks and young cedars, and 

 am inclined to tliiidc the larva, lives on the latter plant, although 



