64 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



of Ajax is made up in W. Virginia of an earlier appearing Walshii and a 

 later Telamonides ; the subsequent broods as in New York. That in the 

 high north there is a single brood — the spring form Lucia alone. That in 

 California (until we have further knowledge) the early spring brood is 

 absent and the summer broods are made up of Pseudargiolus with occa- 

 sional smaller (neglecta) and occasional more heavily marked (Piasus) 

 individuals. On this hypothesis, Lucia is a boreal and colline form of 

 violacea, and the summer broods of the species are absent in the extreme 

 north, or, further south, consist of larger (Pseudargiolus) and smaller 

 (neglecta) individuals, according to conditions more or less favorable to 

 growth. 



Of course this hypothesis is based principally upon my personal 

 knowledge of the sequence of forms in New England, and may prove 

 altogether wrong. I believe, however, that it is worth considering. If it 

 appear complicated, it need only be said that there is complication some- 

 where. And furthermore, while Mr. Edwards in W. Virginia raised 

 violacea in the spring from progeny of Pseudargiolus which went into 

 chrysalis the autumn previous, Mr. Abbot in Georgia years ago raised 

 Pseudargiolus (or what he called Argiolus) in March from caterpillars 

 which went into chrysalis the last of April of the preceding year. The 

 spring brood, therefore, is probably made up, in the south at least, of 

 butterflies which existed as caterpillars at various times during the whole 

 of the previous year. This is precisely what Edwards has admirably 

 proved of Ajax ; and if it be a constant phenomenon in Cyaniris, then it 

 is likely to be equally true at the north, and the probable occurrence of 

 dimorphism in the first brood at the north (Lucia-violacea) would be 

 similar to the same phenomenon in Ajax at the south ( Walshii- Telamonides) 

 and the two features may yet be proved to have a logical connection. 



It may also be added that it is extremely uncommon for two such 

 closely allied species as neglecta and Lucia, living in the same district, to 

 differ as much as it has been supposed they do, in the number of their 

 broods, Lucia appearing in New England but once, neglecta twice a year* ; 

 indeed only one instance among New England butterflies occurs to me, 

 and that is somewhat doubtful. I refer to Limochores Taumas and Z. 

 Manataaqua, the former of which is double brooded, and the latter, as 

 far as I know, single brooded ; the data, in the latter case, however, are 



* The second brood appears to be invariably less abundant than the first. 



