INSECTA. 177 



numbers on the elm, willow, sour cherry, and other fruit 

 trees. 



The Mourning Mantle (tachyptera antiopa) is reddish- 

 black, velvety, bordered with yellow-white ; ground color 

 of wings black, adorned with large blue spots. As soon 

 as escaped from the cocoon, these butterflies discharge a 

 reddish colored fluid, which the superstitious call blood 

 rain. The caterpillars are blue-black, spotted with flame 

 color ; live in societies, on the aspen, birch, and willow ; 

 change into a pupa gray-brown spotted with red ; in four- 

 teen days the perfect insect is developed. 



The Thistle Bird Painted Lady (tachyptera car- 

 dui), plate 24, fig. 8, is beautifully marked with angular 

 and circular spots of brown and orange; the under side, 

 still more beautiful, is adorned with a network of lines 

 and eye-shaped figures. The caterpillar, one inch and a 

 half long, grayish-yellow, and covered with spines, lives 

 upon burdock, artichokes, and nettles ; grows very fast ; 

 changes into a dull yellow, gold-dotted chrysalis ; the 

 butterfly comes forth in July, being perfected in fourteen 

 days. 



The Red Admiral (tachyptera atalanta), plate 23, fig. 

 12, is velvety-black, with transverse stripes of brilliant 

 scarlet, and white and blue dots on the superior wings ; 

 inferior, also black, are bordered with scarlet. The cat- 

 erpillar, black and spiny, striped with 'bright yellow, 

 lives on the nettle. 



The Peacock D'mrna (tachyptera io). The wings 

 are indented, or cut out on the edges ; superior pair, fine 

 red-brown, bordered on the sides with a darker shade ; 

 on the anterior margin, marked yellow and black 5 lower 

 wings dark red-brown, and adorned with an eye-like 

 spot, mottled blue and black, standing handsomely forth 

 8* 



