BUTTERFLIES OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK CITY 
time audacious and pugnacious. It darts recklessly at and about 
objects in the air, vainly pursuing even a passing bird or dragonfly. 
They tussle with one another too to such an extent that their wings 
are almost invariably rubbed and broken after their wrangle. When 
disturbed, the butterfly takes a zigzag trip over a tree, house-top or 
fence, often without alighting anywhere, and returns to within a few 
inches of the old spot. The butterfly usually takes his pastime 
toward sunset, when only now and then a patch of sunlight remains 
among the shadows of the trees. The caterpillar is sometimes very 
destructive to hop vines, and in some localities it is known to growers 
as the ‘“‘Hop Merchant,” and according as the metallic color on the 
chrysalis is gold or silver, the price of hops will be high or low. This 
insect is quite common in the vicinity of New York. The hibernating 
form of this butterfly is called harrisit and the summer form dryas. 
The former differ from the latter in having the hind wings above 
considerably paler. It feeds on the elm and false-nettle (Behmeria), 
as well as on the hop-vine. The butterfly has a silver comma on the 
under side of the hind wing, hence the name ‘‘Comma Butterfly.”’ 
30. Marbled Comma Butterfly (Polygonia faunus). 
Very rare in this vicinity. It is a northern insect, and is com- 
mon in mountainous districts. It may be recognized easily by the 
deeply incised and notched outer margins of the wings; and by the 
under side of the wings; which is beautifully marbled with various 
shades of brown, from light to dark, and mottled with gray-white. 
In the light shade there is a row of olive-green spots, followed by a 
band of the same color within the outer border. The caterpillar 
lives on birch (Betula lenta), willow and wild and cultivated gooseberry. 
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