THE WHITE BUTTERFLY. 271 



its back and secures on the other side, and repeats this 

 operation till the united threads have formed a band or loop 

 of sufficient strength. On the next day it casts off the 

 caterpillar skin, and becomes a chrysalis. This is sometimes 

 of a pale green, and sometimes of a white color, regularly 

 and finely dotted with black; the sides of the body are 

 angular, the head is surmounted by a conical tubercle, 

 and over the fore part of the body, corresponding to the 

 thorax of the included butterfly, is a thin projection, having 

 in profile some resemblance to a Roman nose. 



The chrysalis state lasts eleven days, at the expiration of 

 which the insect comes forth a butterfly. The wings are 

 white, but dusky next to the body ; the tips of the upper 

 ones are yellowish beneath, with dusky veins ; the under 

 side of the hinder wings is straw-colored, with broad dusky 

 veins, and the angles next to the body are deep yellow ; the 

 back is black, and the antennae are blackish, with narrow 

 white rings, and ochre-yellow at the tips. The wings ex- 

 pand about two inches. 



I have seen these butterflies in great abundance during the 

 latter part of July and the beginning of August, in pairs, or 

 laying their eggs for a second brood of caterpillars. The 

 chrysalids produced from this autumnal brood survive the 

 winter, and the butterflies are not disclosed from them till 

 May or June. In gardens or fields infested by the cater- 

 pillars, boards, placed horizontally an inch or two above the 

 surface of the soil, will be resorted to by them when they 

 are about to change to chrysalids, and here it will be easy 

 to find, collect, and destroy them, either in the caterpillar 

 or chrysalis state. The butterflies also may easily be taken 

 by a large and deep bag-net of muslin, attached to a handle 

 of five or six feet in length ; for they fly low and lazily, 

 especially when busy in laying their eggs. In Europe the 

 caterpillars of the white butterflies are eaten by the larger 

 titmouse (^Parus major), and probably our own titmouse 

 or chickadee, with other insect-eating birds, will be found 

 equally useful, if properly protected. 



