188 FAMILIAR FEATURES OF THE ROADSIDE. 



inches from one wing tip to the other. It soars even 

 above the trees and takes to the broad expanse of 

 sky as the yellowbird does. The caterpillar lives in 

 the orchard and feeds upon the leaves of the fruit 

 trees, or resorts to the birch, poplar, and ash. It is 

 two inches long, fat and green, with rows of bluish 

 dots and black and yellow markings, and the head 

 and feet are pink-tinged. Early in August this 

 caterpillar tires of life and "hangs " itself in a 

 leaf cradle bound together by silken cords ; the fol- 

 lowing summer it resumes life in the form of a 

 gorgeous velvety winged butterfly. I often see the 

 handsome creature perched on top of the pasture 

 thistle, but according to the rules of entomology I 

 believe it has no right to be there. Yet I under- 

 stand that the thistle is favored by many broad- 

 winged visitors, chief among which is our yellow 

 friend Colias Philodice. 



Those tiny little butterflies, which flit about with 

 an uncertain motion, but a short distance, from one 

 blossom to another, are called " skippers " (Hesperia). 

 They are generally marked and spotted red -brown and 

 yellow, and proceed from small caterpillars which 

 wind themselves up in leaves drawn together by 

 silken threads. The skipper butterfly will scarcely 

 measure an inch across with wings extended ; it also 

 frequents the pasture thistle. A very common spe- 



