THE NYMPHS 



the Rockies, the White Mountains, the Alps, 

 and the mountains of Asia. On these same 

 exquisite wings it hovers over the open fields 

 of India, Italy, Spain, Mexico and New Zea- 

 land, and over the tropical foliage of the Pacific 

 Islands. 



The colors and markings of the cosmopolite on 

 the upper side of the wings are so like those of 

 the preceding species that even the eyes of ex- 

 perts might not distinguish the two. The under 

 side of the front wings bears the same rose-colored 

 band, but each hind wing of the cosmopolite 

 bears near the margin four small eye-spots in- 

 stead of two large ones as with the painted 

 beauty. In fact the under side of the hind 

 wings of the cosmopolite, with its eye-spots set 

 in complicated patterns of white and brown 

 and purple tints, looks like a web from Persian 

 looms. 



One would think that the caterpillar would feel 

 quite protected by the sharp " prickers " that cover 

 its food plant, but from the beginning it protects 

 itself with a nest. At first it lives beneath a leaf 

 covered by a web. Then it takes possession of 

 the upper side, drawing the leaf together for pro- 

 tection. Then it makes a nest of several leaves 

 held together by a web which has woven into it 



159 



