61 



fringed with yellow, the tail is black with an oval, yellow spot ; the body is also black marked 

 with yellow. When its wings are expanded it lueasures about five inches, sometimes more. 



This stately creature is very active when on the wing and diflficult to capture, but when 

 it has alighted and is busily engaged in sucking the nectar of flowers, if cautiously ap- 

 proached, it may bo taken without much difficulty. 



Last September, I was much gratified at receiving a number of the singular caterpillars 

 of this beautiful butterfly from Mr. S. Eccles, of St. Thomas. They were found in his gar- 

 den, feeding on Dictamnus fiaxinella, a perrenial herb, which is a native of Southern Europe, 

 but cultivated in this country in gardens, as an ornamental plant. The larva is a very strange 

 looking creature. On the first four segments of the body there is a white lateral band be- 

 ginning from the head, and between that and the corresponding one on the opposite side, there 

 is a large brown patch, marked by large brownish black spots. Behind this, about the middle 

 of the body there is a large white spot in the shape of a lozenge, which covers the back and a 

 part of the sides, one of the angles of which reaches the first pair of fleshy pro-legs. In the 

 middle of that band there are some brown spots. The hinder part of the body is covered 

 by another large white patch marked anteriorly with some brown spots ; the f^ides of the 

 body, between the lozenge-shaped and the last white patch are of a uniform dark brown 

 colour. The underside is also brown as well as the feet. 



This curious mixture of white grey and brown colours is so arranged as to make the 

 larvae closely resemble the excrement of birds. This is especially so during the earlier stages 

 of their growth ; doubtless this resemblance protects them against their enemies, especially 

 the birds. When touched they stretch forth a reddish brown fleshy fork from behind the 

 head, which is also used as a defence against their enemies. 



For a few days, while fresh food of Dictamnus Avas at hand, the larvae did well and grew 

 rapidly, but the supply failing they were transferred to a young orange tree, which was en- 

 closed in a g;iuze bag to prevent their escape — when they lost their vigour and activity, and 

 although they ate more or less of the foliage every day, they lost flesh and one after another 

 died, until only three or four remained. These lingered for a time when two of them spun 

 up and went into chrysalis, but the chrysalids were small and one of them deformed, and fin- 

 ally the remainder all died. Subsequently the chrysalids became stiff and hard, and on open- 

 ing them they were were found dead and dry. 



The chrysalis is brown, marked with blackish points. 



The skill shown by this butterfly in selecting the plants and trees on which to deposit its 

 eggs is very wonderful. The caterpillar, as far as is known feeds only on species belonging 

 to the Rutacae or Hue family, which comprises genera and species singularly unlike each 

 other ; yet this butterfly knows how to recognize and select them. Dictamnus belongs to this 

 family, so also does the common garden rue b'uta graveolens. The other members found in this 

 Country are the Northern Prickly Ash Zanthoxyhim Americanum, the Southern Prickly A.sh, 

 Z. Carolinianum ; the hop tree Ptelea trifoliata and the genus Citrus which includes the 

 sweet and bitter orange, the lemon, lime and citron. In the South, the larva, as already 

 stated feeds on the various trees belonging to the latter family, in the West it feeds on the 

 Prickly Ash, while in Kansas it is known to feed on the hop tree. Having been found on 

 Dictamnus it becomes highly probable that it will feed also on Rue, although it has not 

 yet been found on this plant. 



