290 
LEPIDOPTERA. 
spot at tip, and a crescent-shaped one of the same color 
on the middle of the hind margin ; under side of the hind 
wings pale ochre-yellow or buff, variegated with brown lines 
and spots, with a very large brown spot on the hinder mar¬ 
gin, on the middle of which is a whitish crescent, and be¬ 
fore this a row of blackish dots. 
Expands from to IJ inch. 
The chrysalis is about half an inch long, brown and sprin¬ 
kled with white dots before, and reddish brown with black 
dots behind, and three rows of minute points on the back; 
the anterior extremity is square and the top of the thorax 
arched, with three little points disposed in a triangle. The 
butterfly comes out about the first of June. This little and 
very common butterfly varies considerably in the depth and 
quantity of its dark markings. It is found on flowers in 
June, July, and Aun-ust. 
The genus Cynthia was proposed by Fabricius to contain 
certain butterflies which some entomologists now place in 
Vanessa. Taken, however, in a more limited sense than 
was originally intended, it may be retained for some of the 
species which differ from the others in the form and coloring 
of the wings, in the habits of the caterpillars, and in the 
shape of the chrysalids. , As thus restricted, the genus 
Cynthia is distinguished by the wings of the butterflies 
included in it being more or less scalloped on the edges, but 
not indented or tailed, and not marked with metallic charac¬ 
ters beneath; their feelers are much longer than the head, 
are tapering, curve upwards and are contiguous to their 
extremity, giving the head of the insect, when viewed side¬ 
ways, somewhat the form of the bows of a ship. The 
caterpillars are armed with branched spines, about equal in 
length on all the segments except the first and last, on 
which they are often wanting, and the head is heart-shaped, 
with little elevated points or short spines on the top. They 
are solitaiy, and conceal themselves under a web, or within a 
