(1) =Melitæa phaëton=, Drury, Plate XVI, Fig. 1, ♂; Plate V, Figs. 15, 16, _chrysalis_ (The Baltimore).
_Butterfly_, ♂.--The upper side is black, with a marginal row of red spots, followed by three rows of pale-yellow spots on the fore wings and two on the hind wings. Besides these there are some large red spots on the cells of both wings, a large red spot about the middle of the costa of the hind wing, and a few scattering yellow spots, forming an incomplete fourth row on the fore wing and an incomplete third row on the hind wing. On the under side all the spots of the upper side reappear, but heavier and more distinct, and on the hind wings there are two additional rows of yellow spots, and a number of irregular patches of red and yellow at the base of both wings.
♀.--The female is much like the male. Expanse, ♂, 1.75-2.00 inches; ♀, 2.00-2.60 inches.
+--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | EXPLANATION OF PLATE XVI | | | | 1. _Melitæa phaëton_, Drury, ♂. | | 2. _Melitæa chalcedon_, Doubleday and | | Hewitson, ♂. | | 3. _Melitæa macglashani_, Rivers, ♂. | | 4. _Melitæa augusta_, Edwards, ♂. | | 5. _Melitæa colon_, Edwards, ♂. | | 6. _Melitæa nubigena_, Behr, ♂. | | 7. _Melitæa baroni_, Henry Edwards, ♂. | | 8. _Melitæa editha,_, Boisduval, ♂. | | 9. _Melitæa nubigena_, var, _wheeleri_, | | Henry Edwards, ♂. | | 10. _Melitæa rubicunda_, Henry Edwards, | | ♂. | | 11. _Melitæa acastus_, Edwards, ♂. | | 12. _Melitæa acastus_, Edwards, ♂, | | _under side_. | | 13. _Melitæa palla_, Boisduval, ♂. | | 14. _Melitæa palla_, Boisduval, ♂, | | _under side_. | | 15. _Melitæa gabbi_, Behr, ♂. | | 16. _Melitæa taylori_, Edwards, ♂. | | 17. _Melitæa fulvia_, Edwards, ♂. | | 18. _Melitæa dymas_, Edwards, ♂. | | 19. _Melitæa perse_, Edwards, ♂. | | 20. _Melitæa leanira_, Boisduval, ♂. | | 21. _Melitæa nympha_, Edwards, ♂. | | 22. _Melitæa arachne_, Edwards, ♀. | | | | [Illustration PLATE XVI.] | +--------------------------------------------------------------+
_Egg._--The egg which is outlined upon p. 4, Fig. 8, is brownish-yellow when first laid, then changes to crimson and becomes black just before hatching. The eggs are laid by the female in large clusters on the under side of the leaf of the food-plant.