1891.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 43 



Observations on Ihe butterfly, Paphia troglodita. 



BY PROF. R. R. ROWLEY. 



I have studied this species through the last six or seven sum- 

 mers, in the field, on its food-plant and in my rearing jars, and 

 am quite well acquainted with its habits. Perhaps some of my 

 observations will be of interest to the readers of ENTOMOLOGICAL 

 NEWS. 



The imago is one of our hardiest butterflies, appearing early 

 in the Spring and lingering late in the Autumn. I have seen it 

 on pleasant days in late March and early April at sunny spots in 

 the woods darting from the trees to the dry leaves that cover the 

 ground, and away again at the slightest noise. At that season it 

 also frequents sunny south hillsides, and is always very active, 

 being at all times a difficult butterfly to take in the net. 



The last brood of images appears in early October and often 

 flies till November, appearing in the Spring as a very ragged and 

 anything but handsome insect. 



As its food-plant, Croton capitatnm, is an annual, slow to ger- 

 minate, and tardy in its growth, the eggs for the first brood are 

 not laid till May. It hardly seems possible that these torn and 

 faded butterflies of March should linger till May to fulfil the 

 mission of nature, but they are fitted by that same nature to sur- 

 vive the frosts of Winter, and why should they not adapt them- 

 selves to their surroundings and accommodate themselves to 

 circumstances ? 



The eggs hatch in from four to six days. They are round, 

 apparently smooth, and, when first laid, of a pale sky-blue, 

 almost transparent appearance, growing yellowish and opaque in 

 two or three days. 



There are, perhaps, three broods of butterflies in a season, but 

 this is a hard question to determine, as there is a constant inter- 

 mingling of the broods, the same plant often supporting eggs, 

 freshly hatched larvae, half grown and full grown caterpillars at 

 the same time. 



Although Croton capitatum is an abundant plant ht-re, the 9 

 Troglodita seems to be rather choice of a place for her eggs and 

 out of a cluster of weeds will select one or two to the neglect of 

 the others, even depositing as many as four or five and often two 

 eggs on the underside of one leaf. 



