SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES — CLARK 393 



In southern Georgia, southern Florida, Texas, Arizona, and south- 

 ern California there appears, more or less irregularly, a related kind 

 wholly without tails {Papilio polydamas, pi. 14, figs. 79, 80). This 

 butterfly lives all over tropical America and as far south as Buenos 

 Aires. In Florida, in addition to the typical form, there is also 

 found the variety {lucayus^ pi. 14, fig. 81) whose proper home is 

 the Bahama Islands. 



Another Aristolochia swallowtail {Papilio areas rtiylotes, pi. 14, 

 figs. 86-88) has been said to occur in the Gulf States, but the record 

 is very dubious. Its home is in Central America. 



THE FLUTED SWALLOWTAILS 



The second and largest section of the genus Papilio includes the 

 so-called fluted swallowtails. These are especially characterized by 

 having the inner margin of the hind wings, next to the body, al- 

 ways curved abruptly downward so that it appears to be longitudi- 

 nally grooved or fluted, particularly when viewed from the mider 

 side. In this feature both sexes are alike. 



The caterpillars of the fluted swallowtails are more varied than 

 are those of the other groups. They are generally brightly colored, 

 often streaked with patches of oddly mingled colors or provided 

 with a few large eye-spots, giving them a startlingly grotesque 

 appearance. 



In contrast to the Aristolochia swallowtails, the antemiae of the 

 fluted swallowtails are scaled at the base and are distinctly jointed, 

 the segments being more or less narrowed basally and somewhat 

 compressed. The bodies of the fluted swallowtails are hard and 

 brittle, and even a slight pinch on the thorax will kill, or at least 

 permanently disable, them. 



In habits the fluted swallowtails are more varied than the species 

 of either of the other sections of Papilio. Most of them are notice- 

 ably shyer than the Aristolochia swallowtails. Some, especially 

 among the larger kinds, sweep and sail along with occasional heavy 

 flapping of the wings in clearings or about the borders of woods, 

 or even over the tree tops; others fly about in a rather leisurely 

 but very matter-of-fact way, as if they knew exactly what they 

 wanted and were going after it; many have a swift and direct 

 nervous fluttering flight and keep their wings constantly in motion 

 when on flowers; while a few have an awkward, clumsy flight of 

 such a stupid nature as to appear wholly foreign to any swallow- 

 tail. Some of the species keep mostly in or very near the woods, 

 others live equally in woods and in more or less open bushy coun- 

 try or in orchards, and a few are confined to open country. They 



