( u 7v' ( V \)/M( )\ ni rrj:Ri-Lii:s 



Angle-wings 



The Angle-wiiii^s "look as if Mother Nature had with her scissors 

 snipped the edges of their wiiii^s, fashioiiinj^ notches and points accord- 

 ing to the vagaries of an idle mood." The wing expanse is about two 

 inches and while the upper surface is tawny, variousl}- marked, the 

 under surface is a combination of brown and gray which corresponds 

 so closel}' with the color of dead leaves that an Angle-wing at rest on 

 the forest floor is extremely well hidden. 



The A'iolet-tip has a tail suggestive of the Papilios. The upper 

 surface of this tail and the adjacent marginal portions of the hind wing 

 are tinged with violet. On the under side of each hind w4ng there is 

 a pair of silvery markings wdiich are somewdiat like an interrogation 

 point. The young feed on elm leaves. 



The Hop Merchant or Comma has a silvery comma or parenthesis 

 on the under vside of each hind wing and there is considerable yellow'ish 

 color on the under surface of both pairs of wings. The first name 

 given here refers to the feeding habits of the 3^oung. 



The Gray Comma or Progne has a silvery marking similar to that 

 of the Comma but smaller and the under surface lacks 3^ellow. Its 

 young prefer the leaves of currant and gooseberry. 



The Angle-wings, like the Vanessas, hibernate as adults. They 

 show^ considerable variation in their markings and general color. 

 Several varietal forms have been considered worthy of special names. 



Eye=spots 



(An "eye spot" is a circular spot surrounded by one or more rings 

 of a different color.) 



The Red Admiral has such spots on the under side of the hind 

 wdngs but they are usually very indistinct. This species can best be 

 recognized by the brilliant red band crossing each black front wdng. 



Eye spots are very distinct on the under surface of the hind 

 wdngs of Hunter's and the Thistle Butterflies. For some strange 

 reason, these, but more particularly the latter, are also called the 

 Painted Lady or Painted Beaut}'. The Thistle is one of the most 

 widely distributed of butterflies — as widely as the thistles on wdiicli 

 it feeds. There are usually four eye spots on each hind wing, below^ 

 which are smaller than the two of Hunter's. 



23 



