THE MELIT2EA BUTTERFLIES. 287 



The wings and the feelers of this and the following species 

 are proportionally more elongated than in the Idalia and 

 Aphrodite butterflies. The Myrina begins to appear about 

 the last of May, and may be found till the end of June ; it 

 reappears again in August and September. 



Argynnis Belhna, Fabricius. Bellona Butterfly. (Figs. 113, 114.) 



Wings tawny above, with two rows of black spots around 

 the hind margins, at a distance from which is a row of round 

 spots of the same color ; from the base to beyond the middle 



Fig. 113. Fig. 114. 



the wings are covered with blackish spots, running together 

 more or less, as in the preceding species ; tips of the fore 

 wings beneath, and under side of the hind wings, brownish, 

 and glossed with purplish white on the posterior half of the 

 latter, which are variegated with dark brown lines and spots. 



Expands from If to l T 9 ff inch. 



Very closely resembles the Myrina in form and color of 

 the upper surface of the wings, but is easily distinguished 

 from it by the want of the silvery spots beneath. It is found 

 on flowers in the latter part of July. 



The butterflies of the genus Melitcea agree in most re- 

 spects with those of Argynnis, except that the under side of 

 the hind wings is usually checkered with various colors, but 

 not ornamented with silvery or pearly spots. Their cater- 

 pillars are very different, being covered with blunt tubercles 

 beset with very short stiff bristles, and most of them live on 

 various kinds of plantain. The chrysalids are of the same 



