HOW TO KNOW THE BUTTERFLIES 



the middle and outer dark margin. The edges of 

 its wings just suggest the angles which give the 

 name to the group. Its dark-brown antennae are 

 prettily tipped with orange brown. 



It is common throughout its range and may be 

 found in open hilly fields that border on wood- 

 lands ; it also frequents roadsides where the ruddy 

 gleam of its wings makes it conspicuous. How- 

 ever, the under side of the wings, dark brown 

 with the band of wood color, renders it invisible 

 when its wings are closed. It hibernates some- 

 times as a chrysalis and sometimes as a but- 

 terfly. 



A favorite fairy tale of our childhood was that 

 of the eleven wild swans where the captive maiden 

 had to weave an armor of nettles which she beat 

 with her own delicate hands for her eleven broth- 

 ers to free them from the magic of a wicked witch. 

 Once when that tale was fresh in our fancy we 

 discovered eleven little caterpillars ranged closely 

 side by side eating the edge of a nettle leaf. As 

 we touched the leaf, they all raised their heads 

 and wagged them back and forth in concert and 

 we stole away in awe, never doubting that the poor 

 princes were again in the toils of the witch. If 

 we had watched the later doings of these cater- 

 pillars and had seen the way they cut the nettle 



i5 2 



