312 
MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 
The colors are black and yellow, the wings being frequently edged 
with a narrow line of pink. The rather vague and fanciful resem¬ 
blance of the } 7 ellow patch on the upper wing to an animal’s head has 
given the insect the common name of the dog’s-head butterfly. The 
insect is yellow beneath, with spots as shown in the illustration. 
Meganostoma csesouia. Under side. 
The sexes differ little in coloring. This species is much more 
abundant in the south and southwest than in the east and north. I 
have never taken it in New England, but found a good many 
specimens near Iowa City, Iowa, in August. It is a good flyer, and 
one is obliged to move rapidly and use the net skilfully to capture 
many specimens. 
A very beautiful species of this genus, Meganostoma eurydiee , 
a native of California and the Pacific coast, displays in the male 
insect bright pink and purple iridescence almost dazzling to the 
eye. 
The genus Gonepteryx contains some large and very showy 
butterflies. The shape of the wings is peculiar, in that they are 
angular and look as if trimmed with the scissors, the upper wings 
having the upper margin strongly bowed and ending in a blunt 
point, while the lower pair have a decided .point midway on the 
outer margin. The veins of the wings are large and raised, and 
from the under side the insect bears a striking leaf-like look. But 
two of the large and handsome species of this genus are found in 
this country north of Mexico, and they must be regarded as strag¬ 
glers from more tropical climes. 
