208 ORDER LEPIDOPTERA. 



larger spot than either of the five ; beyond, a dusky patch with the apex black. 

 Posterior wings, mostly dusky black, but brownish towards the base : tails and 

 margins powdered with reddish white : beneath grayish, mottled reddish or crrrge, 

 and with obscure spots of lighter and darker color partaking more or less of brown. 

 Hindwings marked with a silvery « opening outwards. 

 This species furnishes considerable variation in the markings, as well as in expansion 



of wings. It is a common species, generally smaller than the red admiral and ccmma lut- 



terjly. 



Dr. Harris regards this species and V. argcntea, described by the late Rev. W. Kieby 



in the Fawia Boreali AmericaneR, as the same. 



Vanessa cx)mma ( Harris). 



Dr. Harris has recently described an American comma butterfly, which had been 

 regarded as identical with the European : although closely resembling the latter, the 

 hinder wings are not so deeply indented, which feature may serve to distinguish the two. 

 For description, see Harris's Injurious Insects, 2d edition, p. 241. 



Vanessa polychloros 1 Ccmma Butterfly. 



Anterior wings, dusky orange, darker at base, marked with four large subquadrate Fpots 



upon the disk, of which three are in a line, and the other is placed below the middle 



spot of the three : costal margin with three large abbreviated fascire, the middle one 



the largest, the apical one smallest and whiter : outer margin dusky, and marked 



with an irregular pale line. Posterior wings have a large black or dark brown 



costal spot : outer margin marked with crescents, which are not sufliciently distinct 



to warrant insertion in this description, owing to injury : a slender pale line is visible 



running parallel with the edge. Beneath the wings are clouded, the basal portion much 



the darkest ; the higher portion, or broad band is striated transversely by numerous 



darker interrupted lines. In the middle of the posterior wing there is a silvery curved 



line. 



The individual above described differs about as much from the English polychlcros, as 



our Vanessa atalanta or Cynthiu cardui from theirs. The most important point not made 



out, relates to the bluish lunules upon the outer margin ; but on applying our polychlcros 



to the English figure, I find it fits in length and breadth, and also the angulated and scol- 



lopped edges. There is a close correspondence in the patterns above and beneath, and the 



general resemblance is so near that it will not be safe to treat our species as distinct from 



the English. 



