HOW TO KNOW THE BUTTERFLIES 



The Green Comma 

 Polygonia faunus (Pol-y-go'ni-a fau'nus) 

 Plate XXIII, Fig. 3, 5 



The silvery mark of the hind wings is usually in the form 

 of a C or a G, the ends being more or less expanded (Plate 

 VI, Fig. 2), but sometimes it is reduced to the form of an L. 

 The lower surface of the wings is more greatly variegated than 

 in any other species of this genus ; and there is a larger 

 amount of green on this surface than in any other of the 

 Eastern species, there being two nearly complete rows of 

 green spots on the outer third of each wing. Expanse two 

 inches or more. 



Caterpillar. — Length, one and one-fifth inches. Head 

 black and bearing a pair of spines. Body reddish, or yellow- 

 ish brown with a large patch of white on the back behind the 

 middle. The rows of branching spines are light colored. It 

 makes no nest and hides beneath the leaf. 



Food-plants. — Black birch, willow, alder, currant, and 

 gooseberry. 



The strong resemblance existing between the 

 different commas makes the recognition of the 

 species on the wing quite difficult. However, if 

 the sun glints across the wings of the green 

 comma, it reveals on the upper side markings of 

 a rich velvety obscure olive green ; while below a 

 paler and brighter olive is wrought into the 

 ornate pattern. While all this is easily seen when 

 we hold a pinned specimen in the hand it is by no 



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