"A golden butterfly, upon whose wingsThere must be surely character'd strange things,* * * * * * * * * *Onward it flew, ... then high it soar'd,And downward suddenly began to dip,As if, athirst with so much toil, 't would sipThe crystal spout-head; so it did, with touchMost delicate, as though afraid to smutchEven with mealy gold the waters clear."Keats,Endymion.
"A golden butterfly, upon whose wingsThere must be surely character'd strange things,* * * * * * * * * *Onward it flew, ... then high it soar'd,And downward suddenly began to dip,As if, athirst with so much toil, 't would sipThe crystal spout-head; so it did, with touchMost delicate, as though afraid to smutchEven with mealy gold the waters clear."Keats,Endymion.
Keats,Endymion.
Butterfly.—Large butterflies, brilliant lemon-yellow or orange-yellow, marked with a few darker spots and with a narrow band of brown, especially in the female sex, on the outer margin of the primaries. They are very quick and vigorous in flight, more so than is the case in any of the preceding genera.
Egg.—The eggs are spindle-shaped, flat at the base, and acutely pointed, with a few longitudinal ribs and a multitude of delicate cross-lines.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillar is relatively long, with the headsmall; the segments somewhat moniliform, resembling beads strung together, the surface covered with a multitude of minute papillæ ranged in transverse rows.
Chrysalis.—The chrysalis is strongly concave on the dorsal side, with the head greatly produced as a long, pointed, conical projection; the wing-cases are compressed and form a very wide, keel-shaped projection on the ventral side. This peculiar formation of the wing-cases reaches its greatest development in this genus.
The butterflies of this genus are mainly tropical. Four or five species, however, are found in the warmer parts of the United States, and one of them ranges north as far as northern New Jersey, and has been occasionally taken even in northern Illinois.
Fig. 144.—Neuration of the genusCatopsilia.
(1)Catopsilia eubule, Linnæus, Plate XXXIII, Fig. 2, ♂; Fig. 3, ♂,under side; Plate II, Figs. 2, 4,larva; Plate V, Figs. 60-62,chrysalis(The Cloudless Sulphur).
Butterfly.—This splendid and vigorous butterfly is found from New England and Wisconsin to Patagonia, being very abundant in the tropics, where it congregates in great swarms upon moist places by the side of streams. It haunts in great numbers the orange-groves of the South, and is very fond of flowers. It is rare on the northern limits of its range, though quite common on the coast of New Jersey. Expanse, 2.50 inches. The caterpillar feeds on leguminous plants, but especially upon the different species ofCassia.
(2)Catopsilia philea, Linnæus, Plate XXXIII, Fig. 4, ♂ (The Red-barred Sulphur).
Butterfly.—This is another noble species of this fine genus, which includes some of the showiest insects of the subfamily. It may be readily recognized by the bar of deep orange crossing the cell of the primaries, and by the orange tint on the outer margin of the hind wings. Expanse, 3.00-3.50 inches.
Early Stages.—But little is as yet known of these. The larva feeds on the same kinds of plants as the larva ofC. eubule. It occurs in Texas, and is said to have also been found in Illinois as a straggler. It is abundant in Mexico, Central America, and southward.
(3)Catopsilia agarithe, Boisduval, Plate XXXIII, Fig. 1, ♂ (The Large Orange Sulphur).
Butterfly.—About the same size asC. eubule, but deep orange on both sides of the wings. The wings of the female are bordered somewhat heavily with brown, and are duller in color than those of the male. Expanse, 2.50-2.75 inches.
Early Stages.—The caterpillar, which resembles that ofeubule, feeds upon various species ofCassia. The chrysalis is also much like that ofeubule. We need, however, fuller information than that which we possess, drawn, for the most part, from the pages of authors who wrote in the last century.
The species occurs in the hot parts of the Gulf States, and is common throughout tropical America.
Genus KRICOGONIA, Reakirt
Butterfly.—Medium sized, bright yellow on the upper and lower sides, with some dark markings, especially in the male. The primaries in the male are generally quite strongly falcate.
Fig. 145.—Neuration of the genusKricogonia.
Early Stages.—Nothing has, as yet, been satisfactorily ascertained in relation to these.
The genus is not large, and is confined to the tropical regions of the New World, being represented in our fauna in the vicinity of the city of Brownsville, in Texas.
(1)Kricogonia lyside, Godart (formterissa, Lucas), Plate XXXIV, Fig. 20, ♂; Fig. 21, ♁ (Lyside).
Butterfly.—This insect, which may easily be distinguished from all its allies by its peculiar markings, is found in Florida and Texas, and is widely spread over the Antilles and tropical America. We know nothing of its life-history. A number of closely allied forms, reckoned as species, are known from the Antilles and Central America. They are so closely related to each other that it is believed that they are possibly only varieties or local races. We cannot, however, be sure of this until the test of breeding has been applied. Expanse, 1.90-2.10 inches.
Genus MEGANOSTOMA, Reakirt(The Dog-face Butterflies)
"Let me smell the wild white rose,Smell the woodbine and the may;Mark, upon a sunny day,Sated from their blossoms rise,Honey-bees and butterflies."Jean Ingelow.
"Let me smell the wild white rose,Smell the woodbine and the may;Mark, upon a sunny day,Sated from their blossoms rise,Honey-bees and butterflies."Jean Ingelow.
Jean Ingelow.
Butterfly.—Closely resembling those of the following genus,Colias, from which they may be readily distinguished by the more acutely pointed apex of the fore wings and by the remarkable coloration of these wings in the male sex, the dark outer borders being disposed upon the lighter ground-color so as to present the appearance of a rude outline of the head of a dog, whence these butterflies have sometimes been called the "dog-face butterflies."
Fig. 146.—Neuration of the genusMeganostoma.
Egg.—Fusiform, strongly pointed at the apex, broader at the base, the sides marked with a few delicate ridges, between which are numerous cross-lines.
Caterpillar.—Elongate, cylindrical, the head relatively small, striped on either side by a whitish lateral line, each segment having a transverse darker line. They feed upon leguminous plants.
Chrysalis.—Pointed at the head, convex on the abdominal segments on the dorsal side, with a decided hump on the thorax. The wing-covers unite to form a moderately deep carinate, or keel-shaped, projection on the ventral side, not, however, nearly as large as in the genusCatopsilia.
But two species of the genus are found within our fauna, one widely distributed throughout the Southern and Southwestern States, the other confined to the Pacific coast.
(1)Meganostoma eurydice, Boisduval, Plate XXXVI, Fig. 1, ♂; Fig. 2, ♁ (The Californian Dog-face).
Butterfly.—The splendid purplish iridescence of the fore wings of the male is only faintly indicated in the plate. This beautiful insect is peculiar to the Pacific coast, and there is a wide differencein appearance between the sexes. Expanse, 1.80-2.00 inches.
Plate XXXV.
Early Stages.—The caterpillar feeds uponAmorpha californica. The life-history has been accurately described, and the various stages depicted, by Edwards.
(2)Meganostoma cæsonia, Stoll, Plate XXXVI, Fig. 3, ♂; Fig. 4, ♁ (The Southern Dog-face).
Butterfly.—The sexes are much alike in this species, which ranges widely over the Southern States, and is found even in southern Illinois and sometimes still farther north. Expanse, 2.25 inches.
Early Stages.—These have been fully described by various authors, most carefully by Edwards.
Genus COLIAS, Fabricius(The Sulphurs)
"Above the arching jimson-weeds flare twosAnd twos of sallow-yellow butterflies,Like blooms of lorn primroses blowing looseWhen autumn winds arise."James Whitcomb Riley
"Above the arching jimson-weeds flare twosAnd twos of sallow-yellow butterflies,Like blooms of lorn primroses blowing looseWhen autumn winds arise."James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley
Butterfly.—Medium-sized butterflies, yellow or orange in color, with black borders upon the wings. In many species this border is heavier in the female than in the male.
Fig. 147.—Neuration of the genusColias.
Egg.—The egg is spindle-shaped, thickest at the middle, tapering at the apex and at the base, generally attached by an enlarged disk-like expansion to the point on which it is laid. The upper extremity is rounded; the sides are marked by small vertical ridges, between which are delicate cross-lines.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillars strongly resemble in appearance those of the preceding genus, from which, superficially, they cannot be distinguished by any anatomical peculiarities. They feed uponLeguminosæ, and especially upon clover (Trifolium).
Chrysalis.—The chrysalids do not generally differ in appearance from the chrysalids of the genusMeganostoma, though the wing-cases donot form as high a keel-shaped projection from the ventral side as in that genus.
This genus is very extensive, being represented throughout the temperate regions of both hemispheres, and also occurring in the cooler portions of South America, especially along the ranges of the Andes. One species is found in temperate South Africa. The brightly colored butterflies, which are sometimes found congregating in immense numbers in moist places, are familiar objects, and swarm upon the clover-fields and by the roadside in the summer months throughout the United States.
(1)Colias meadi, Edwards, Plate XXXVI, Fig. 5, ♂; Fig. 6, ♁ (Mead's Sulphur).
Butterfly.—The wings on the upper side are orange, greenish on the under side. The discal spot on the lower side is centered with green. Expanse, 1.75 inch.
Early Stages.—The life-history has been written by Edwards, and may be found in the pages of the "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xxi, p. 41. The larva feeds on clover.
The species is alpine in its habits, and is found in Colorado from nine to twelve thousand feet above sea-level.
(2)Colias elis, Strecker, Plate XXXVI, Fig. 13, ♂; Fig. 14, ♁ (Strecker's Sulphur).
Butterfly.—This species is discriminated from the preceding principally by the narrower black margins on the wings of the male and the more abundant yellow maculation of the borders in the female. Expanse, 1.55-1.90 inch.
Early Stages.—Closely resembling those of the preceding species, of which it may be only a varietal form.
The habitat of the species is on the lofty peaks of the Western Cordilleras.
(3)Colias eurytheme, Boisduval, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 18, ♁; Plate XXXIII, Fig. 5, ♂,under side; Plate II, Fig. 1,larva; Plate V, Fig. 53,chrysalis(Eurytheme).
Butterfly.—This species has been made in recent years the subject of exhaustive study, and has been discovered to be strongly polymorphic—that is to say, liable to great variation. Not only does albinism assert itself in the production of white forms, but there are many seasonal and climatic forms. We are not yet through with our studies, and there is doubtless much more to be ascertained. The figures cited above represent thetypical form of the species. We have given, in addition to these, the following forms:
(a) Winter formariadne, Edwards, Plate XXXVI, Fig. 7, ♂; Fig. 8, ♁. This form, emerging from chrysalids which have overwintered, is like the type in having the fore wings tinged with orange. Expanse, 1.75 inch.
(b) Winter formkeewaydin, Edwards, Plate XXXVI, Fig. 9, ♂; Fig. 10, ♁. This is a larger form, more deeply flushed with orange, though not quite as deeply as shown in the plate. Expanse, 1.85 inch.
(c) Summer formeriphyle, Edwards, Plate XXXV, Fig. 15, ♂; Plate XLIII, Fig. 3, ♂,under side. This summer form differs from typicalC. eurythemein being yellow and not laved with orange. Expanse, 2.00 inches.
Early Stages.—The caterpillar feeds on clover, as do most of the species of the genus.
The range ofeurythemeis very wide. It extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from Canada to the far South, though rare in the lower parts of Florida and Texas in the hot lands.
(4)Colias philodice, Godart, Plate I (Frontispiece), Fig. 4, ♂; Fig. 5, ♁; Plate II, Fig. 10,larva; Plate V, Figs. 54, 55,chrysalis(The Common Sulphur).
Butterfly.—We are all familiar with this species, the "puddle butterfly" of our childhood, which sits in swarms on moist places by the wayside, and makes the clover-fields gay with the flash of yellow wings in summer. There are many aberrational forms, albinos and negroes, white forms and dark forms, dwarfed forms and large forms, but in the main the species is remarkably constant, and seasonal forms and distinctly local races do not abound as in the case of the preceding species. Expanse, ♂, 1.25-1.80 inch; ♁, 1.60-2.25 inches.
Early Stages.—The food-plant is clover. The eggs are pale yellow, changing, after being laid, to crimson. The caterpillar is slender, green, striped longitudinally with paler green. The chrysalis is pale green.
The species ranges from New England to Florida, and westward to the Rocky Mountains.
(5)Colias chrysomelas, Henry Edwards, Plate XXXV, Fig. 12, ♂; Fig. 13, ♁ (The Gold-and-black Sulphur).
Butterfly.—Larger thanC. philodice. The male on the upperside is bright lemon-yellow, with broad black margins on both wings. The female is paler, with the black margin of the hind wing lacking or very faintly indicated, and the margin of the fore wing much broken up by yellow spots. On the under side the wings of the male are dusky-orange, pale yellow on the disk of the primaries; the wings of the female on this side are pale yellow. Expanse, ♂, 2.00-2.10 inches; ♁, 2.25-2.30 inches.
Early Stages.—Undescribed.
The home of this species is on the Coast Range of northern California.
(6)Colias alexandra, Edwards, Plate XXXV, Fig. 6, ♂; Fig. 7, ♁ (The Alexandra Sulphur).
Butterfly.—Larger thanC. philodice. The male is pale canary-yellow, with much narrower black borders than the preceding species. The female is pale yellow or white, without black borders, or, at most, faint traces of them at the apex of the primaries. On the under side the wings are silvery-gray, yellow only at the base and on the inner margin of the primaries. The discal spot on the hind wings is white. Expanse, ♂, 1.85 inch; ♁, 2.10-2.30 inches.
Early Stages.—The caterpillar is uniformly yellowish-green, with a white band on each side, broken with orange-red dashes running through it. The chrysalis, which resembles that ofC. philodicein form, is yellowish-green, darkest on the dorsal side, and adorned with three small red dots on the ventral side of the abdomen near the wing-cases. The caterpillar eatsAstragalus,Thermopsis, and white clover. Expanse, ♂, 1.90-2.15 inches; ♁, 2.00-2.30 inches.
The species is found in Colorado and the mountain regions to the north and west of that State.
(7)Colias interior, Scudder, Plate XXXV, Fig. 10, ♂; Fig. 11, ♁ (The Pink-edged Sulphur).
Butterfly.—The male on the upper side closely resemblesC. philodice, but is smaller, the fringes of the wings rose-colored. The female is pale yellow above, more frequently white, with the tips of the fore wings lightly marked with blackish. On the under side the fore wings at the apex and the entire surface of the hind wings are rusty orange-yellow. The discal spot on the hind wings is silvery, bordered with rosy-red. Expanse, ♂, 1.30-1.75 inch; ♁, 1.60-2.00 inches.
Early Stages.—Little is as yet known of these.
The species was first found by Professor Louis Agassiz on the north shore of Lake Superior. It ranges through a rather narrow belt of country, through Quebec, Ontario, and westward to the Rocky Mountains north of the valley of the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes.
(8)Colias scudderi, Reakirt, Plate XXXV, Fig. 8, ♂; Fig. 9, ♁ (Scudder's Sulphur).
Butterfly.—The male on the upper side is colored likeC. philodice, but the black borders are much wider. The fringes are rosy. The female is generally white,—very rarely slightly yellow,—with very pale dark borders, or often without any trace of black on the outer margin of the wings. On the under side the apex of the fore wings and the entire surface of the hind wings are greenish-gray. The discal spot of the secondaries is well silvered and margined with pale red. Expanse, 1.80-2.00 inches.
Early Stages.—We know but little of these, except that the caterpillar feeds on the leaves of the huckleberry and the willow.
Scudder's Sulphur is found in Colorado, Utah, Montana, and British Columbia.
(9)Colias pelidne, Boisduval, Plate XXXV, Fig. 14, ♂; Plate XXXVI, Fig. 15, ♂; Fig. 16, ♁ (The Labrador Sulphur).
Butterfly.—The male on the upper side is pale yellow, with a greenish tinge on the hind wings; the black borders are narrow; the fringes are pink. The female on the upper side is white, with very little or no black on the outer borders, the black marking being confined to the apex of the fore wings. On the under side the wings are much as inC. interior, and it is possible that the two forms are varieties of one and the same species. Expanse, 1.60-1.85 inch.
Early Stages.—Little is known of these.
Pelidneis rather abundant in Labrador at the proper season, and ranges thence westward and northward in boreal America.
(10)Colias nastes, Boisduval, Plate XXXVI, Fig. 11, ♂; Fig. 12, ♁ (The Arctic Sulphur).
Butterfly.—Easily recognized in both sexes by the pale-greenish tint of the wings and the tendency of the outer border of the fore wings of the male to become divided, like those of the female, by a band of pale spots. Expanse, 1.50-1.65 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
This is an arctic species, which is found in Labrador, Greenland, the far North in British America and Alaska, and on the summits of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia.
(11)Colias behri, Edwards, Plate XXXVI, Fig. 17, ♂ (Behr's Sulphur).
Butterfly.—This very rare little species may be easily recognized by the dark-greenish tint of the upper side of the wings and the light spot on the upper side of the hind wings. The female has the outer borders dusky like the male, the dusky shade running inward on the lines of the veins and nervules. Expanse, 1.50 inch.
Early Stages.—We know little of these.
The insect has hitherto been taken only at considerable elevations among the Western Sierras, and the peaks and lofty meadows about the Yosemite Valley have been until recently the classic locality for the species.
There are a number of other species of the genusColias, and numerous varieties which have been named and described from the western and northwestern portions of our region; but it requires almost as much skill to distinguish them as is required to discriminate between the different species of willows, asters, and goldenrods, among plants, and we do not think it worth while to burden the student with an account of these, and of the controversies which are being waged about them. If any reader of this book becomes entangled in perplexities concerning the species ofColias, the writer will be glad to try to aid him to correct conclusions by personal conference or correspondence.
Genus TERIAS, Swainson(The Small Sulphurs)
"Hurt no living thing:Ladybird, nor butterfly,Nor moth with dusty wing,Nor cricket chirping cheerily,Nor grasshopper so light of leap,Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,Nor harmless worms that creep."Christina Rossetti.
"Hurt no living thing:Ladybird, nor butterfly,Nor moth with dusty wing,Nor cricket chirping cheerily,Nor grasshopper so light of leap,Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,Nor harmless worms that creep."Christina Rossetti.
Christina Rossetti.
Plate XXXVI.
Butterfly.—Small butterflies, bright orange or yellow, margined with black. They are more delicate in structure and have thinner wings than most of the genera belonging to the subfamily of thePierinæ. The outer margin of the wings is generally straightor slightly rounded, though in a few species the apex is somewhat acuminate. The outer margin of the hind wings is generally rounded, though in a few species it is acuminate.
Fig. 148.—Neuration of the genusTerias.
Egg.—Strongly spindle-shaped, pointed and rounded at the base and at the apex, much swollen at the middle, its sides marked by numerous broad but slightly raised vertical ridges.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillars are small, relatively long, cylindrical, with the head quite small, the thoracic segments somewhat larger than the others, giving the anterior portion of the body a slightly humped appearance. They feed upon leguminous plants.
Chrysalis.—The chrysalis is compressed laterally, with the head pointed and the wing-cases forming a deep, keel-shaped projection on the ventral side, more pronounced than in any other genus exceptCatopsilia.
There are an immense number of species belonging to this genus scattered through the tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. Many of the species are dimorphic or polymorphic, and much confusion has arisen, especially in relation to the Oriental species, on account of the great tendency to the production of seasonal varieties, many of which are strikingly different from one another.
(1)Terias gundlachia, Poey, Plate XXXVII, Fig. 1, ♂ (Gundlach's Sulphur).
Butterfly.—This species is easily recognized by the orange-yellow tint of the upper side of the wings and the sharply pointed hind wings. Expanse, 1.80 inch.
Early Stages.—We know nothing of these.
The species is found in Texas, Arizona, Mexico, and Cuba.
(2)Terias proterpia, Fabricius, Plate XXXVII, Fig. 2, ♂ (Proterpia).
Butterfly.—Even deeper orange than the preceding species. The hind wings are, however, less pointed; the veins and nervules are black at their ends, and the costal margin of the fore wings is evenly bordered with black, which does not run down on the outer margin as inT. gundlachia. Expanse, 1.50-1.75 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
Proterpiais found in Texas, Arizona, and Mexico.
(3)Terias nicippe, Cramer, Plate XXXVII, Fig. 3, ♂; Fig. 4, ♁; Fig. 5, var.flava, ♂; Fig. 6, ♁,under side; Plate II, Fig. 6,larva; Plate V, Figs. 51, 52,chrysalis(Nicippe).
Butterfly.—The plate gives so full a presentation of this common species as to make a lengthy description unnecessary. It is subject to considerable variation. I have specimens of many varying shades of orange and yellow, and a few albino females. The orange form depicted in Plate XXXVII, Figs. 3 and 4, is typical. The formflavais not uncommon. Expanse, 1.50-2.00 inches.
Early Stages.—These are not as well known as they should be in view of the excessive abundance of the insect in long-settled parts of the country. The caterpillar feeds uponCassiain preference to all other plants, but will eat other leguminosæ.
Nicippeis very rare in New England, but is common south of latitude 40° as far as the Rocky Mountains, and ranges over Cuba, Mexico, and Guatemala, into Venezuela and even Brazil. It fairly swarms at times in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Indiana and Illinois. I have encountered clouds of it on the wing near Jeffersonville, Indiana, and thence north along the lines of the Pennsylvania Railroad as far as Seymour. It is not common in western Pennsylvania, but in former years was taken rather frequently about Pittsburgh.
(4)Terias mexicana, Plate XXXVII, Fig. 7, ♂; Fig. 8, ♁,under side(The Mexican Yellow).
Butterfly.—Easily distinguished from all other species in our fauna by the pointed hind wings, margined on the outer border with black, and by the heavy black border of the fore wings, deeply excised inwardly, recalling the fore wing of the species of the genusMeganostoma. Expanse, ♂, 1.75 inch; ♁, 1.85 inch.
Early Stages.—We do not, as yet, know much about these.
T. mexicanais very common in Arizona, and occurs also in Texas. It is abundant in Mexico.
(5)Terias damaris, Felder, Plate XXXVII, Fig. 9, ♂; Fig. 10, ♂,under side(Damaris).
Butterfly.—Allied to the preceding species, but readily distinguished from it by the less deeply excised outer border of the fore wing, by the fact that the black outer margin of the secondariesextends inwardly beyond the angulated point of the wing, and by the different color and style of the markings of the lower side. Expanse, 1.35-1.65 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
Damarisoccurs in Arizona, and thence ranges south into Venezuela.
(6)Terias westwoodi.Boisduval, Plate XXXVII, Fig. 11, ♂ (Westwood's Yellow).
Butterfly.—Pale yellow or orange-yellow, with a narrow black border on the fore wings, beginning on the costa beyond the middle, and not quite reaching the inner angle. On the under side the wings are pale yellow, immaculate, or at the apex of the fore wing and the outer angle of the hind wing broadly marked with very pale reddish-brown. Expanse, 1.75-2.00 inches.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
Westwood's Yellow occurs in Texas and Arizona, but is not common. It is abundant farther south.
(7)Terias lisa, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XXXVII, Fig. 13, ♂; Plate II, Fig. 3,larva; Plate V, Fig. 56,chrysalis(The Little Sulphur).
Butterfly.—Allied to the three following species, from which it may at once be distinguished by the absence of the black bar on the inner margin of the fore wings and by the profusely mottled surface of the under side of the hind wings. It is subject to considerable variation, albino females and melanic males being sometimes found, as well as dwarfed specimens of very small size. Expanse, 1.25-1.60 inch.
Early Stages.—These have not been thoroughly studied and described, in spite of the fact that the insect is very common in many easily accessible localities. The caterpillar feeds onCassiaand on clover.
T. lisaranges from New England south and west as far as the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains, and into Mexico and Honduras. It is found in the Antilles and Bermuda. An interesting account of the appearance of a vast swarm of these butterflies in the Bermudas is given by Jones in "Psyche," vol. i, p. 121:
"Early in the morning of the first day of October last year (1874), several persons living on the north side of the main island perceived, as they thought, a cloud coming over from the northwest, which drew nearer and nearer to the shore, on reaching which it divided into two parts, one of which went eastward, and the other westward, gradually falling upon the land. They were not long in ascertaining that what they had taken for a cloud was an immense concourse of small yellow butterflies (Terias lisa, Boisduval), which flitted about all the open grassy patches and cultivated grounds in a lazy manner, as if fatigued after their long voyage over the deep. Fishermen out near the reefs, some few miles to the north of the island, very early that morning, stated that numbers of these insects fell upon their boats, literally covering them. They did not stay long upon the islands, however, only a few days, but during that time thousands must have fallen victims to the vigorous appetite of the bluebird (Sialia sialis, Baird) and blackbird (Mimus carolinensis, Gray), which were continually preying upon them."
As the nearest point of land is Cape Hatteras, about six hundred miles distant, it is seen that, weak and feeble as this little creature appears, it must possess, when aided by favoring winds, great power of sustained flight.
(8)Terias elathea, Cramer, Plate XXXVII, Fig. 12, ♂ (Elathea).
Butterfly.—Distinguished from its near ally,T. delia, by the fact that the ground-color of the hind wings is white. The female in this, as in the allied species, is without the black bar on the inner margin of the primaries. Expanse, 1.25-1.40 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
Elatheais found in Florida, Mexico, and the Antilles.
(9)Terias delia, Cramer, Plate XXXVII, Fig. 14, ♂ (Delia).
Butterfly.—Almost exactly like the preceding species, but having the upper side of the hind wings yellow. On the under side the fore wing at the tip and the entire hind wing are red. Expanse, 1.25-1.50 inch.
Early Stages.—But little is known of them. The caterpillar feeds onCassia.
Deliaoccurs commonly in the Gulf States.
(10)Terias jucunda, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XXXVII, Fig. 15, ♂; Fig. 16, ♂,under side(The Fairy Yellow).
Butterfly.—Distinguished from the preceding species by the dark marginal band surrounding the hind wing and the pale under surface. Expanse, 1.60-1.75 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
This little species is found in the Gulf States.
Plate XXXVII.
RED RAIN
"The lepidopterous insects in general, soon after they emerge from the pupa state, and commonly during their first flight, discharge some drops of a red-colored fluid, more or less intense in different species, which, in some instances, where their numbers have been considerable, have produced the appearance of a 'shower of blood,' as this natural phenomenon is sometimes called.
"Showers of blood have been recorded by historians and poets as preternatural—have been considered in the light of prodigies, and regarded, where they have happened, as fearful prognostics of impending evil.
"There are two passages in Homer, which, however poetical, are applicable to a rain of this kind; and among the prodigies which took place after the death of the great dictator, Ovid particularly mentions a shower of blood:
"'Sæpe faces visæ mediis ardere sub astris,Sæpe inter nimbos guttæ cecidere cruentæ.'"('With threatening signs the lowering skies were fill'd,And sanguine drops from murky clouds distilled.')
"'Sæpe faces visæ mediis ardere sub astris,Sæpe inter nimbos guttæ cecidere cruentæ.'
"('With threatening signs the lowering skies were fill'd,And sanguine drops from murky clouds distilled.')
"Among the numerous prodigies reported by Livy to have happened in the year 214B.C., it is instanced that at Mantua a stagnating piece of water, caused by the overflowing of the river Mincius, appeared as of blood; and in the cattle-market at Rome a shower of blood fell in the Istrian Street. After mentioning several other remarkable phenomena that happened during that year, Livy concludes by saying that these prodigies were expiated, conformably to the answers of the aruspices, by victims of the greater kinds, and supplication was ordered to be performed to all the deities who had shrines at Rome. Again, it is stated by Livy that many alarming prodigies were seen at Rome in the year 181B.C., and others reported from abroad; among which was a shower of blood which fell in the courts of the temples of Vulcan and Concord. After mentioning that the image of Juno Sospita shed tears, and that a pestilence broke out in the country, this writer adds that these prodigies, and the mortality whichprevailed, alarmed the Senate so much that they ordered the consuls to sacrifice to such gods as their judgment should direct victims of the larger kinds, and that the decemvirs should consult their books. Pursuant to their direction, a supplication for one day was proclaimed to be performed at every shrine in Rome; and they advised, besides, and the Senate voted, and the consul proclaimed, that there should be a supplication and public worship for three days throughout all Italy. In the year 169B.C., Livy also mentions that a shower of blood fell in the middle of the day. The decemvirs were again called upon to consult their books, and again were sacrifices offered to the deities. The account, also, of Livy, of the bloody sweat on some of the statues of the gods, must be referred to the same phenomenon, as the predilection of those ages to marvel, says Thomas Browne, and the want of accurate investigation in the cases recorded, as well as the rare occurrence of these atmospherical depositions in our own times, inclines us to include them among the blood-red drops deposited by insects.
"In Stow's 'Annales of England' we have two accounts of showers of blood, and from an edition printed in London in 1592, we make our quotations: 'Rivallus, sonne of Cunedagius, succeeded his father, in whose time (in the year 766B.C.) it rained bloud three dayes: after which tempest ensued a great multitude of venemous flies, which slew much people, and then a great mortalitie throughout this lande, caused almost desolation of the same.' The second account is as follows: 'In the time of Brithricus (A.D.786) it rayned blood, which falling on men's clothes, appeared like crosses.'
"Hollingshed, Grafton, and Fabyan have also recorded these instances in their respective chronicles of England.
"A remarkable instance of bloody rain is introduced into the very interesting Icelandic ghost-story of Thorgunna. It appears that in the year of our Lord 1009 a woman called Thorgunna came from the Hebrides to Iceland, where she stayed at the house of Thorodd; and during the hay season a shower of blood fell, but only, singularly, on that portion of the hay she had not piled up as her share, which so appalled her that she betook herself to her bed, and soon afterward died. She left, to finish the story, a remarkable will, which, from not being executed, was the cause of several violent deaths, the appearance of ghosts, and, finally, alegal action of ejectment against the ghosts, which, it need hardly be said, drove them effectually away.
"In 1017 a shower of blood fell in Aquitaine; and Sleidan relates that in the year 1553 a vast multitude of butterflies swarmed through a great part of Germany, and sprinkled plants, leaves, buildings, clothes, and men with bloody drops, as if it had rained blood. We learn also from Bateman's 'Doome' that these 'drops of bloude upon hearbes and trees' in 1553 were deemed among the forewarnings of the deaths of Charles and Philip, dukes of Brunswick.
"In Frankfort, in the year 1296, among other prodigies, some spots of blood led to a massacre of the Jews, in which ten thousand of these unhappy descendants of Abraham lost their lives.
"In the beginning of July, 1608, an extensive shower of blood took place at Aix, in France, which threw the people of that place into the utmost consternation, and, which is a much more important fact, led to the first satisfactory and philosophical explanation of this phenomenon, but too late, alas! to save the Jews of Frankfort. This explanation was given by M. Peiresc, a celebrated philosopher of that place, and is thus referred to by his biographer, Gassendi: 'Nothing in the whole year 1608 did more please him than that he observed and philosophized about, thebloody rain, which was commonly reported to have fallen about the beginning of July; great drops thereof were plainly to be seen, both in the city itself, upon the walls of the churchyard of the church, which is near the city wall, and upon the city walls themselves; also upon the walls of villages, hamlets, and towns, for some miles round about; for in the first place, he went himself to see those wherewith the stones were coloured, and did what he could to come to speak with those husbandmen, who, beyond Lambesk, were reported to have been affrighted at the falling of said rain, that they left their work, and ran as fast as their legs could carry them into the adjacent houses. Whereupon, he found that it was a fable that was reported, touching those husbandmen. Nor was he pleased that naturalists should refer this kind of rain to vapours drawn up out of red earth aloft in the air, which congealing afterwards into liquor, fall down in this form; because such vapours as are drawne aloft by heat, ascend without colour, as we may know by the alone example of red roses, out of which the vapours that arise by heat are congealed into transparentwater. He was less pleased with the common people, and some divines, who judged that it was the work of the devils and witches who had killed innocent young children; for this he counted a mere conjecture, possibly also injurious to the goodness and providence of God.
"'In the meanwhile an accident happened, out of which he conceived he had collected the true cause thereof. For, some months before, he shut up in a box a certain palmer-worm which he had found, rare for its bigness and form; which, when he had forgotten, he heard a buzzing in the box, and when he opened it, found the palmer-worm, having cast its coat, to be turned into a beautiful Butterfly, which presently flew away, leaving in the bottom of the box a red drop as broad as an ordinary sous or shilling; and because this happened about the beginning of the same month and about the same time an incredible multitude of Butterflies were observed flying in the air, he was therefore of opinion that such kind of Butterflies resting on the walls had there shed such like drops, and of the same bigness. Whereupon, he went the second time, and found, by experience, that those drops were not to be found on the housetops, nor upon the round sides of the stones which stuck out, as it would have happened, if blood had fallen from the sky, but rather where the stones were somewhat hollowed, and in holes, where such small creatures might shroud and nestle themselves. Moreover, the walls which were so spotted, were not in the middle of towns, but they were such as bordered upon the fields, nor were they on the highest parts, but only so moderately high as Butterflies are commonly wont to fly.
"'Thus, therefore, he interpreted that which Gregory of Tours relates touching a bloody rain seen at Paris in divers places, in the days of Childebert, and on a certain house in the territory of Senlis; also that which is storied, touching raining of blood about the end of June, in the days of King Robert; so that the blood which fell upon flesh, garments or stones could not be washed out, but that which fell on wood might; for it was the same season of Butterflies, and experience hath taught us, that no water will wash these spots out of the stones, while they are fresh and new. When he had said these and such like things to various, a great company of auditors being present, it was agreed that they should go together and search out the matter, and as they went up and down, here and there, through the fields, they foundmany drops upon stones and rocks; but they were only on the hollow and under parts of the stones, but not upon those which lay most open to the skies.'
Plate XXXVIII.
"This memorable shower of blood was produced by theVanessa urticæorV. polychloros, most probably, since these species of butterflies are said to have been uncommonly plentiful at the time when, and in the particular district where, the phenomenon was observed."
Frank Cowan,Curious History of Insects.
FOR A DESIGN OF A BUTTERFLY RESTING ON A SKULL