Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/506

 500 BUTTERFLY the preceding genera. The purple emperor of Europe, A. iris (Linn.), has very strong and thick wings, and is capable of a high and long- sustained flight ; instead of the zigzag motions of common butterflies, the species of this genus soar in a steady manner like a bird of prey ; from their flying over the tops of forest trees, they are difficult to capture, and therefore highly prized by collectors ; M. Godart has described more than 260 different species, some of which are found in this country. In the genus morpJio (Fabr.), peculiar to South America, the an- tennae are almost filiform ; in this are included some of the most gorgeous of the lepidoptera. In the genus MpparcJiia (Fabr.), or satyrus (Latr.), the antennas end in slight knobby or elongated swellings ; the anterior feet are short, the hind pairs with double nails, the internal margin of the wings excavated to receive the abdomen, and the middle discoidal cell closed posteriorly; the caterpillar has no spines, but is downy, with the posterior extremity forked. It contains many species, the wings of which are often ornamented with beautiful eye-like spots ; they frequent dry localities, over which they fly in a jerking and sudden manner. The H. Andromacha (Hubner), frequenting the southern and southwestern states, has the wings brown, with submarginal blackish spots, beneath paler, with a series of eye-like spots. The H, semidea (Say), about two inches in extent of wings, is of a brown color, the lower wings marbled below with black and white; it inhabits the highest summits of the White mountains of New Hampshire, and, according to Say, seems to be confined to that region. In the second division of the first section are several small six-footed butterflies belonging to the family of lyc&nada ; the caterpillars are short and almost oval, with feet so short that they seem to glide rather than walk, and they secure themselves by the hind feet and a silken loop across their bodies. Here belongs the genus argus (Lam.), which contains many small species of an azure-blue color, variega- ted with black and white. The genus ery- cina (Lat.) belongs to America ; polyommatus (Fabr.) is named from the beautiful eye-like spots of the under surface of the wings, which are generally blue above in the males, and brown in the females. The genus lyemna (Fabr.) includes the splendid little species called "coppers" by collectors. According to A. and 0. Speyer, the lyecenadce and ery- cinada belong to the division of heteropoda, in which the anterior legs are of a different form in the two sexes ; in the latter, the males possess cleaning paws ; in the former, the males want claws on the anterior tarsi, and the claw joint ends in a sharp point. The second sec- tion of diurnal lepidoptera includes the family of hesperiada, which frequent grassy places, flying short distances in a jerking manner, whence they are called " skippers " by English writers. The hesperia makce (Fabr.) feeds on the mallows, whose leaves it folds up, and in which it is changed ; the wings are indented, blackish brown above, with white dots and spots, beneath greenish gray with similar ir- regular spots; the caterpillar is gray, with a black head and four yellow points on the first ring, which is narrowed ; the chrysalis is black, slightly powdered with blue. In the genus eudamus of Dr. Boisduval is the E. tityrus (Fabr.) of this country ; it expands from 2 to 2 inches, and is of a general brown color ; the first pair of wings with a transverse band and a few spots near the tip of a honey-yellow color ; the hind pair with a short rounded tail, and a broad silvery band across the middle beneath. This large and handsome species appears about the middle of June, hovering over sweet-scented flowers ; it flies so rapidly and strongly that it is difficult to take it with- out injury ; the females lay their eggs, singly, on the leaves of the locust (robinia pseuda- Bkipper Butterfly (Eudamus tityrus). cacia and R. viscosa) ; hatched in July, they roll themselves in a covering of the leaves, as a protection from the weather and birds ; the full-grown caterpillar is about two inches long, of a pale green color, with transverse streaks of darker green, with a red neck and head; each lives in its own case, one end of which is left open for egress at night, at which time it feeds ; they remain as chrysalids in their leafy cocoons during the winter; the viscid locust is sometimes completely stripped of its leaves by this caterpillar. Of the genus urania (Fabr.), Mr. Swainson says the butterflies com- posing it " are perhaps the most splendid in- sects in creation. No art can effectually rep- resent the changeable and resplendent green which relieves the velvet black of the wings, and which varies with every change of light. The typical species are found in tropical Ameri- ca, where they fly with amazing rapidity, and perform, like their prototypes the swallows, annual migrations." The butterflies are to insects what the humming birds are to the