172 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE WEST COAST 



The sexes are much alike, and often difficult to determine ; the 

 females are larger, and paler, and the abdomens are larger ; and 

 the matter can be determined best by comparison of these features. 



The larval food-plant of all Graptas is nettles. 



213. Grapta Satyrus. 



Plate XXII ; Figures 213, a. 



Fig. 213, Male, Southern California, i88g; Author. 



a. Female, underside. Central California, 1894; 

 Author. 

 Satyrus is very wide-spread, covering most of temperate Amer- 

 ica except the Southern Atlantic States ; and on the West Coasf 

 it flies from Mexico to far north into British Columbia. The un- 

 derside is beautifully marked in various shades of brown, height- 

 ened by yellowish lines. Satyrus flies nearly the whole year 

 around. 



The larval food-plant is nettles. 



214. Grapta Marsyas. 

 Plate XXII ; Figure 214. 



Fig. 214, Female, underside, Vancouver Island, July, 

 1891 ; Author. 

 It is a theory with some that Marsyas is a cold weather form 

 or variety of Satyrus, being a little darker both above and beneath 

 than Satyrus, but I do not believe such to be the fact; and you 

 can see for yourself by the plate that the darker form is a sum- 

 mer brood. So I conclude that in this country, at any rate, there 

 are two constant forms, and that they neither of them pay much 

 attention to the weather; that, in fact, they both are good and 

 separate species. If they were not, they would soon become homo- 

 geneous and indistinguishable. 



215. Grapta Faunus. 



Plate XXII ; Figure 215. 



Fig. 215, Male, near Mullan Pass, May, 1892; Author. 

 Faunus is one oi the darker-colored Graptas, and its wings are 

 extremely angular and with many bold projections. This, and 

 the next are closely allied, they seem like brothers. 



Faunus flies in New England, and through the Northern Mid- 

 dle States, and to the Pacific Coast at Puget Sound, and thence 

 north to St. Michaels in Alaska. I have found this species to be 

 quite rare, in all the places where I have found it. 



