NYMPHALID^. 227 



domain. While the insect is at rest one may cautiously advance 

 quite near, hut any sudden movement will alarm it, when off it will 

 go so rapidly that one can scarcely see it. It frequently returns to 

 the same spot in a few moments, and resting with iialf-spread wings, 

 looks as if daring the observer to make another trial to take it cap- 

 tive. It is sometimes too confident of its powers, and finds itself a 

 prisoner, when its struggles to escape are indeed desperate. So bold 

 is this buttei'iiy at times, that after striking at it with the net and 

 missing it, I have had it alight on my hat or my clothing, as if it 

 considered the performance good sport and desired me to try again. 



My brother had an interesting experience with this butterfly dur- 

 ing the latter part of July in southeastern Missouri. He discovered, 

 resting on the leaves of trees surrounding a patch of goat-weed, a 

 number of the males of this species, waiting for the females to make 

 their appearance. The males were very shy and active, so much so, 

 in fact, that he almost came to the conclusion that he would not be 

 able to capture any, until he hit upon this plan : after seeing one 

 alight on a leaf, he would carefully walk around to the back of the 

 tree, and then come up under Inm, when he would see his shadow 

 from the under side of the leaf, and with a quick movement of the 

 net make him captive. The females were not so alert or active, and 

 flew low down near the ground, often alighting on the goat-weed to 

 deposit their eggs. 



Larva of Apatura. 



Species of the genus Apafura iidiabit North and South America, 

 Europe and Asia, and among them are some of the most brilliantly 

 colored butterflies known. Their soml)re ground colors of dark 

 brown and black throw into strong relief the flashing green, 

 blue, purple and lilac with Avhich Nature has so lavisldy adorned 

 them. Sometimes these colors are in the shape of wide bars or 

 patches, and again even covering the Avhole surface of the wings, as 



