COLIAS. TA 



whatever. These specimens, though much injured, offer on an orange ground, in certain lights, the most beautiful 

 rose-coloured and violet purple reflections that can be imagined. Donovan has vainly attempted to give one of 

 these colours in his figure ; but the brilliancy of colouring which the specimens must have exhibited, when recent, 

 cannot be approached by the pencil. The outer margin of the anterior wings, in nearly all the species, is black ; 

 often marked with yellow spots in the females, and sometimes also in the males. The extremity of the cell is generally 

 marked with a black spot on the anterior wings, with an orange or yellow one on the posterior, both often pupiled 

 with white below. As in Gonepteryx, the antennas are of a red hue. White varieties of the females are not rare. 



The Larvae, which taper less at the extremities than those of most of the genera of this family, are green with 

 yellow lateral stripes, and sometimes are dotted with black. They feed on various papilionaceous plants, especially 

 those of the genera Medicago and Trifolium. 



The Pur.E are not arched, and have the head abruptly pointed. They are generally green, with yellow lateral 

 lines. 



The Perfect Insects appear in temperate climates in the summer and autumn months, a few specimens probably 

 hybernate. In Europe, Col. Edusa and Col. Hyale are sometimes found in the early spring months, and this is the 

 case in the North of the United States with Col. Philodice. In the delightful climate of East Florida, specimens, 

 mostly much worn, of Col. Cajsonia may be met with throughout the winter months, many of these faded ones 

 remaining alive until the appearance of the new brood in May. 



This genus is met with in almost every part of the world except Australia, the Indian Archipelago, and perhaps 

 Central Africa. In Asia it is found from Siberia to the Southern parts of India ; in Europe it is found in Lapland ; in 

 Africa it occurs from Egypt and Abyssinia, to the Canary Islands, and again at the Cape of Good Hope ; and in America 

 from Boothia Felix to Ticrra del Fuego. It is, however, very much confined to the mountains in the intertropical 

 countries. In the mountains of Europe some species are found almost up to the regions of perpetual snow. 



The species with which I am acquainted all fly with great rapidity, especially when disturbed. They frequent fields 

 of clover and lucerne, or open meadows and the outskirts of woods, and other places where leguminous plants abound, 

 consequently they are not unfrequent in mountain pastures. The North American species are extremely fond of 

 alighting on moist sand or mud. By the sides of ponds and brooks, throughout the Northern and Middle States, and 

 on the large mud holes not very rare in the roads of Ohio and Illinois, I have seen them assembled literally by 

 hundreds. In the Northern States it is only Colias Philodice which occurs; but in the Middle and Western States 

 the assemblage is composed also of Colias Cassonia, Callidryas Marcellina, Terias Nicippe, and Ter. Lisa. These 

 assemblies are so closely packed that rows of forty or fifty individuals may be seen, their wings closed over their backs, 

 their sides actually touching one another. Sometimes the group is augmented by a few noble specimens of Papilio 

 Turnus, P. Troilus, P. Philenor, and P. Asterias, with the addition of some large Fritillaries, and perhaps that, 

 beautiful little Blue, Lycama Comyntas. These companies, when thus met, are very reluctant to disperse, and are 

 rarely disturbed by a mere passer by. When they do all rise together, the sight is beautiful in the extreme. 



There is a passage relating to one species of this genus, in Mr. Charles Darwin's valuable Researches in Geology 

 and Natural History, so interesting that I cannot resist copying it : — 



" One evening, when we were about ten miles from the Bay of San Bias, vast numbers of butterflies, in bands or 

 flocks of countless myriads, extended as far as the eye could range. Even by the aid of a glass it was not possible to 

 see a space free from butterflies. The seamen called out that it was snowing butterflies, and such in fact was the 

 appearance. More species than one were present; but the main parts belonged to a kind very similar to, but not 

 identical with, the common English Colias Edusa. . . . The day had been fine and calm, and the one previous to it 

 equally so, with light and variable airs. Hence, we cannot suppose that the insects were blown off the land ; but we 

 must conclude that they voluntarily took flight. . . . Before sunset a strong breeze sprung up from the north, and 

 this must have been the cause of tens of thousands of the butterflies and other insects having perished." 



The species referred to is Colias Pyrrothea, specimens of which, presented by Mr. Darwin, are now in the collection 

 of the British Museum. 



Colias Edusa and Colias Hyale are both insects of very irregular appearance in England, especially the latter, which 

 is generally extremely rare, but has occasionally occurred in considerable abundance. 



Some American species differ considerably from the rest of the genus in the form of the anterior wings, which are 

 acuminate and almost falcate. 



