220 LEPIDOPTERA. 



of Danais prevents it from being attacked by birds, 

 tree-toads, lizards, dragon- flies, and the like. Now, 

 Basilarchia has no disagreeable odor, and therefore 

 it is in great danger of being devoured. It has, how- 

 ever, mimicked the colors of Danais so perfectly that 

 it might be easily mistaken for it by insectivorous 

 animals. 



In the Nymphalidse, generally speaking, the two 

 fore-legs are useless as organs of support, and the 

 chrysalis is not attached by the middle, but hangs by 

 the tail. These are known as the Suspensi, in distinc- 

 tion to the Succincti. The straight ventral surface of 

 the abdomen of the chrysalis of the Suspensi (more 

 plainly seen in Fig. 175 ^ than in Fig. 148) is explained 

 theoretically by supposing that the Sus- 

 pensi have passed through the stage rep- 

 resented by the Succincti. In the latter 

 this straight ventral surface w^ould have 

 been produced necessarily when the larvae 

 fastened themselves to hard, flat surfaces 

 with the back downward. 



Teachers who take up this order will 

 soon become familiar with many species 

 Fig. 175. of moths and butterflies that have not 

 been mentioned here, but these are fully 

 described in the numerous works on Lepidoptera.- 



Sufficient has been said to show that much can be 

 done with this order in the schoolroom. The accu- 



1 Polygonia interrogationis. 



■^ See The Butterflies of N'orth America, W. H. Edwards, 

 I.-III., 1868-1890, which gives the life-history of many species 

 with full and excellent illustrations. 



