STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
433 
CURRANT. LEAVES. 
regarded our American insect as different from the European, and 
accordingly named it V. comma. He supposed the wings to be 
more deeply scalloped or indented in the European than they are 
in the American butterfly and that the specimens of the two con¬ 
tinents could at once be distinguished by this mark. But how 
perfectly fallacious this character is will appear from the remark 
of Mr. Westwood (Humphrey’s British Butterflies, p. 50) who, in 
describing the European insect observes, “ This species is subject 
to an extraordinary variation in the form of its wings. In some 
specimens the incision in the outer (posterior) margin of the fore 
wings is so deep that it forms nearly a semicircle, whilst in others 
it is scarcely more than a sextant; the other indentations being 
equally varied.” Our American specimens vary in the same 
manner, the principal incision in the fore wings being much 
deeper than the sixth part of a circle in every instance which I 
have before me. And on comparing them on the one hand with 
the descriptions which European authors give of C-album, espe¬ 
cially that of Mr. Westwood which is most detailed and clearly 
expressed, and on the other hand with the description which Hr. 
Harris gives of comma, every one must admit that, of the two, 
the former is plainly the species to which our insect pertains. In 
every particular they coincide most perfectly with the characters 
assigned to that species. And when in addition to this we recur 
to their habits, the larvae subsisting upon the same kinds of vege¬ 
tation and two broods coming out each year, not a peg remains 
on which to hang a doubt as to the identity of our American 
insect with that of Europe. 
In England this has obtained the common name of the Comma 
butterfly, and Dr. Harris describes it as having a silvery comma 
beneath, upon the middle of the hind wings. But in each of the 
several examples which have come under my notice this mark 
very exactly resembles a letter C and not a comma. A 
translation of its technical name will therefore designate it more 
explicitly than the common name which we meet with in English 
books. In all its marks except those which we have specified 
above, it is nearly or quite identical with the Progne butterfly. 
The under side of its wings, however, are occupied only in places 
by transverse black streaks. 
[Ag. Trans.] Bb 
