THE COMMA BUTTERFLY. 241 
body is cylindrical, black, thickly covered with streaks and dots of yellowish white; 
the second segment is without spines, but with a row of yellowish tubercles in their 
place; the third segment has four branching spines, all black, with a spot of dark 
yellow at their base; and ou the fourth segment are four spines, as there are on all 
tho others, excepting the terminal, which has two pairs, one posterior to the other. 
The spines are yellow, with blackish branches, excepting the terminal pair, which is 
black ; and there is a row of reddish ones on each side. The under surface is yellow- 
ish gray, darker ou the anterior segments, with a central line of blackish, and many 
small, black dots. (Saunders.) 
The chrysalis is ash brown, with the head deeply notched ; and there are eight sil- 
very spots on the back. The chrysalis state lasts from twelve to fourteen days. 
25. The progne grapta. 
Grapta progne (Cramer). 
Late in June, eating the leaves, a more common spiny caterpillar than the preced- 
ing, being white mottled with gray, the butterfly smaller thau the foregoing and 
marked with a reversed silver C or comma 
in the middle of the binder wings; but 
one brood of butterflies appearing iti 
July. 
Regarding the number of broods, Mr. 
D. S. Harris writes us from Cuba, 111. : 
On page 66 of Bulletin on Forest In- 
sects, you state that Grapta progne (Cra- 
mer) is single brooded. I have quite a 
number of the caterpillars about ready 
to change into chrysalids. I also have 
butterflies of this species which emerged FlG ' «*-<*™P«» progne,-From Packard. 
fr<»m the chrysalis during the mouth of September, showing that they are double 
brooded in this State. They are quite destructive this year. 
The larva is gray, mottled with whitish ; head white, with two black prickles. The 
two upper long-branched prickles upon the second ring black; no spines on the pro- 
thoracic segments ; those on the succeeding rings white, tipped with black ; their 
branches white, toward the forward end of the body becoming more and more tipped 
with black. (Fitch.) 
26. The comma butterfly. 
Grapta comma (Harris). 
Another caterpillar closely resembling that of G. progne, but different in being of a 
brownish-red color in front and white or pale yellow behind. 
The half-grown larva is black, with a yellowish stripe along the side from the third 
segment to the tail, and with yellow stripes across the back, and spots of the same 
color at the base of the dorsal spiues, which are yellow, tipped with black. The 
mature caterpillar is white, mottled or striped with gray or ashen, and with red spir- 
acles (W. H. Edwards). It differs from the larva of G. progne in its brownish-red face, 
and in being more yellowish on the abdominal segments. 
The chrysalis is brownish-gray or white, variegated with pale brown and ornamented 
with gold ou the tubercles. 
Thehutterfly differs from the Progne in the hind wings having a black spot on.their 
ceuter, as well as two others toward their base, and on their under side a central sil- 
very curved mark like the letter C. Expanse of wings about two inches. It appears 
in May, and a second brood in July, August, and September. This caterpillar is more 
common on the currant and hop. 
5 ENT 10 
