151 
more dusky color, and in having a transverse band of rather dark buff 
through the center of the wings, and an ellipse of the same in the 
discal cell of the fore wings. The underside is more characteristic. 
The basal part of the fore wings is orange to the zigzag line, then a 
line of buff corresponding with that above, but lighter. Beyond this 
is a mixture of orange, buff and brown, with three of the black dots 
showing distinctly. Hind wings, the base yellowish brown instead 
of orange, and the outer part similar mixed, with a little light orange. 
The buff ellipse of the fore wings is repeated below. 
Phyciodes tharos, Drury.—The Tharos Butterfly. 
There are in New England and northern latitudes, two broods of 
this very abundant species, one appearing in June and the early part 
of July, and the second late in August and September; but probably 
further south, there are three to four generations in a season. The cater¬ 
pillar feeds on the different kinds of aster. The butterfly expands an 
inch and a half in the larger specimens, is a tawny orange above, 
marked with black as follows: A black border to both wings, that is 
emarginate on the interior of the fore wings, and may be somewhat 
divided into two rows by a fine orange line ; on the hind wings come 
next a row T of black dots, then a black line that reaches across both 
wings ; inside of this is a clear space a tenth of an inch broad, from 
which to the base of the wings are a number of black lines that run 
more or less into each other. Underside of the fore wings paler than 
above, broad, brownish black border, broken at the middle, in which 
crescent marks, next the edge, may be seen. Across the middle of the 
wing is another broken black line. Hind wings yellow, crossed by a 
number of irregular brown lines, a row of black points toward the 
margin, a dark brown spot on the costa, and dark brown partial outer 
border. The species is rather variable. 
Grapta interrogationis, Fabr—The Semicolon Butterfly. 
This species differs in the shape of the wings from those 
mentioned in that the apex of the fore wing is truncate, with 
the lower corner of this part quite a sharp angle. Below this is a 
deep, broad sinus and another less prominent point before the poste¬ 
rior angle of the wing. The hind wings also have a tail or point 
projecting from the middle part of the outer margin. The color of 
the wings above is reddish brown, ornamented with black and dark 
brown spots, and an outer border of brown. Some specimens have 
both wings of this color, while others have the greater part of the hind 
wings black. In the lighter specimens the outer edges of the wings 
are more or less glaucous. On the under side the wings are brown, 
with a silvery spot in the middle of the hind wings, the shape of a 
semicolon. 
