290 LEPIDOPTERA. 



spot at tip, and a crescent-shaped one of the same color 

 on the middle of the hind margin ; under side of the hind 

 wings pale ochre-yellow or buff, variegated with brown lines 

 and spots, with a very large brown spot on the hinder mar- 

 gin, on the middle of which is a whitish crescent, and be- 

 fore this a row of blackish dots. 



Expands from lffr to 1J- inch. 



The chrysalis is about half an inch long, brown and sprin- 

 kled with white dots before, and reddish brown with black 

 dots behind, and three rows of minute points on the back ; 

 the anterior extremity is square and the top of the thorax 

 arched, with three little points disposed in a triangle. The 

 butterfly comes out about the first of June. This little and 

 very common butterfly varies considerably in the depth and 

 quantity of its dark markings. It is found on flowers in 

 June, July, and August. 



The genus Cynthia was proposed by Fabricius to contain 

 certain butterflies which some entomologists now place in 

 Vanessa. Taken, however, in a more limited sense than 

 was originally intended, it may be retained for some of the 

 species which differ from the others in the form and coloring 

 of the wings, in the habits of the caterpillars, and in the 

 shape of the chrysalids. As thus restricted, the genus 

 Cynthia is distinguished by the wings of the butterflies 

 included in it being more or less scalloped on the edges, but 

 not indented or tailed, and not marked with metallic charac- 

 ters beneath; their feelers are much longer than the head, 

 are tapering, curve upwards and are contiguous to their 

 extremity, giving the head of the insect, when viewed side- 

 ways, somewhat the form of the bows of a ship. The 

 caterpillars are armed with branched spines, about equal in 

 length on all the segments except the first and last, on 

 which they are often wanting, and the head is heart-shaped, 

 with little elevated points or short spines on the top. They 

 are solitary, and conceal themselves under a web, or within a 



