HOW TO KNOW THE BUTTERFLIES 



tip thus wears a semicolon, wrought in silver and 

 very striking. But Fabricius evidently never 

 stopped to " count two " when he saw this, as he 

 should have done had he been versed in the 

 proper way of regarding pauses, but at once 

 named the species interrogationis, to the utter 

 confusion of beginners in butterfly study, who 

 try in vain to make an interrogation-mark out of 

 this very plain semicolon. The popular name of 

 this butterfly is much more apropos, for it is not 

 only violet-tipped but violet-edged. The border 

 on its wings of rich velvety maroon shading off 

 at the edge into lavender fills the lover of color 

 with a sense of luxurious content. The exquisite 

 shadings of brown on the under side of the wings 

 have a purplish tint that is almost an iridescence. 

 The violet-tip is the largest of the polygon but- 

 terflies and is the most graceful in shape of all the 

 butterfly family. As it passes the winter in the 

 winged stage it finds its first food in spring in the 

 sap of trees, and it undoubtedly rejoices in the 

 industry of sugar-making, which induces man to 

 kindly tap trees for its especial benefit. It fre- 

 quents open places within or near woodlands. 

 In the fall it is more neighborly, and may often 

 be found about our orchards taking its share of 

 the ripe fruit. 



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