288 
MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 
The lower wings are brown with many large creamy spots, having 
a satiny lustre, arranged in irregular rows across them. These 
spots are also enclosed in rings of black. The male resembles the 
female except that it is smaller and generally lighter, and the outer 
row of spots is reddish orange instead of cream color. 
This, our largest and handsomest Argynnis in New England, is 
found during the latter part of July and the first of August in low 
meadowy districts, where its favorite flower, the wild flax, as it is 
sometimes called, or the swamp milkweed, lives. In exceptional 
seasons this insect is plentiful, and one may see one or more of 
these large and richly colored flies about every clump of its favorite 
blossom. It sometimes visits the upland fields of clover and occa¬ 
sionally the flowers of the garden. It is a wild insect and a strong 
flyer, and when once alarmed it will tax the wind and endurance of 
a good runner to overtake'it. 
The insect is found throughout New England and the middle 
and western states, as far west as Dakota. The finest specimens I 
have ever seen came from Illinois, and their richness of coloring and 
size made them well worth the trouble of capturing. 
In the mountainous districts of Virginia, Carolina, Tennessee and 
Arkansas is found the most magnificent species belonging to the 
genus Argynnis which inhabits this country. This beautiful butterfly 
is Argynnis diana. In size there are few species of the group in tire 
world which equal it, and but one or two with which I am acquainted 
which rival it in beauty. 
In the male insect the inner portion of each wing is a rich dark 
brown bordered by a wide band of tawny orange, across which run 
several narrow lines of brown, between which are round brown spots. 
The under side, especially on the lower wings, is a good deal lighter 
where the large area of dark brown gives place to light brown, while 
on the upper wings the same area is black with several tawny orange 
markings. Two lines of elongated silvery spots cross the lower wings, 
the line near the outer margin being the more distinct. The female 
is often a good deal larger than the male and in coloring is totally 
different, the ground color of the wings being a rich greenish or 
bluish black. The outer portion of the fore wings is crossed by 
three rows of bluish white spots, while the same portion of the 
lower wings has one row of large blue spots, each enclosing a round 
black spot, and one row of elongated bluish white spots near the 
outer margin. The under side of the female is brown with the 
