The ground-color of the under side is broadly white, while that of the other species in our fauna, A. fornax, is yellow. They may thus be easily told apart.
Genus VICTORINA Blanchard
(The Malachites).
PL. LVIII
Large butterflies, conspicuously marked with pale green spots surrounded by darker color. On the under side the wings are paler, and have a satiny lustre, the edges of the light spots on this side marbled with brown. Neuration of fore wing singular in that the upper and lower discocellulars are wanting and the radials seem to spring from the lower side of the subcostal before the middle; the third median is strongly bowed upward. Hind wing tailed at end of the third median nervule.
There are five species of the genus thus far known, all belonging to the American tropics, one of which occurs in Florida and Texas.
(1) Victorina steneles (Linnæus), [Plate LVIII], ♂ (The Pearly Malachite).
There is no need of an elaborate description of this species, as it is the only one of its genus in our borders, and the figure we give is fully recognizable. Expanse 3.50-4.00 inches.
Subfamily SATYRINÆ
(The Satyrs).
Butterflies generally of medium size, obscure in color, their wings, especially on the under side, ornamented with dark eye-like spots, pupilled in the centre with a light point and ringed around with one or more circles of lighter color. They have a weak flight, dancing about in the herbage and often hiding among grasses and weeds. Most of them are forest-loving, but some live on the summits of bleak and cold mountains, others on the verge of arctic snows, and some on the prairies. Veins of the fore wings generally greatly swollen at the base, thus enabling them to be distinguished from almost all other butterflies. Eggs subspherical, somewhat higher than broad, ribbed on the sides, particularly at the apex, and rounded at the base. Caterpillars, when they emerge from the egg, have their heads much bigger in diameter than the rest of the body, but as they mature they lose this feature, and generally taper from the middle of the body in either direction. Anal pro-legs bifurcating, thus readily distinguished from all other caterpillars, except those of the genus Chlorippe. They feed upon grasses and sedges, concealing themselves in the daytime and coming forth to feed at night. Chrysalids short and stout, plain both in color and outline.