LEPIDOPTERA, — NYMPHALID&. 355 
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state, and cannot bear comparison with the former, which are the 
most robust and active of lepidopterous insects. The caterpillars of 
this numerous genus confine themselves to the various kinds of 
grasses. It is only, however, during the night that they feed; and 
some species, according to M. Marloy (Anz. Soc. Ent. France, 
1838), not only retire to the earth to undergo their chrysalis state, 
but those of H. Circe, Briseis, Semele, and Fidia form large oval 
cocoons, composed of grains of earth mixed with a little silk. Those 
of H. Mera and Janira, however, suspend themselves by the tail. 
M. Duponchel has published a memoir on this genus in the Ann. Soc. 
Hint. de France, 1833, p. 97., in which he divides the species into 
nine groups, founded upon the characters presented by the antennze 
and nervures of the wings. M. Lefebvre has also published a revision 
of the marbled whites (Leucomelaniens) in the same Annales (tom. i. 
p- 80.). 
M. Vaudouer has published some curious observations upon the 
lethargy of the caterpillars of Melitaa Dia, and Euphrosyne. Some 
caterpillars reared from eggs of the latter insect, when about a month 
old, fell into a lethargic state at the end of June, in which they 
remained until the following spring: a few, however, revived in 
August, and became butterflies the same autumn. The same expe- 
riment made upon the caterpillars of M. Dia produced the same 
result. Hence appears the reason why these butterflies are so 
common in spring, whilst so few are found in autumn. (Ann. Soe. 
Linn. Paris, September, 1827.) The caterpillar of Aconthea pri- 
maria (Horsjfield, pl. 8. f. 6.) is a most singular creature, having a 
very great analogy with Scutigera, each side of each segment being 
furnished with a very long and slender setose filament, half as long as 
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