102 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



The most interesting observation on the trip, however, was that of 

 three individuals of Oeneis semidea on the mountain summit. There is 

 indeed a possibiUty of error here, for no one of them was taken, though 

 two were near enough to warrant a dash with the net. They appeared to 

 be unusually dark, but they had every other appearance of this butterfly, 

 including size and their manner of flight, when flying tolerably high on a 

 not windy day. As the caterpillars have been taken fully grown and 

 wandering in September, it is altogether probable that they pass the win- 

 ter (as has always been supposed) in chrysalis ; and if so, there seems to 

 be no reason why they may not emerge as early as this ; but as the but- 

 terfly has never before been found on the wing earlier than July,* and is 

 never known to be abundant before the second week in that month, and 

 disappears by the middle of August, it would seem not impossible and 

 even probable that the butterfly is double-brooded, at least in part. This 

 certainly seems strange at such an inclement altitude, especially as the 

 European Oeneis aello (which winters, at least sometimes, like many other 

 Satyrids, as a juvenile caterpillar) is believed to take two years to reach 

 maturity. 



The only other butterflies seen above the timber were Eurymus philo- 

 dice, twice near the summit and once in Tuckerman's Ravine ; and 

 Lycaena americana, seen once a mile or two down from the summit. A 

 single Cyaniris pseudargiolus lucia was seen near the edge of the forest 

 just before entering Tuckerman's Ravine. 



It may be added that the snow patches about the summit of Mt. 

 Washington, which were not very extensive — their size, as seen from the 

 valley, diminishing perceptibly in the few days of our visit — were pep- 

 pered with minute insects, largely made up of a few species ; the most 

 abundant were an Aphis, two or three flies no larger than Aphides, some 

 other minute Homoptera, one or two minute Hymenoptera and equally 

 small Coleoptera. Among larger forms were a species of the heteropter- 

 ous genus AcaJithosoma, according to Mr. Uhler, probably A. ?iebuiosa, 

 which was the most common of all, and Bibio femoratiis Wied. (deter- 

 mined by Dr. Williston) ; every pool of melted snow contained three or 

 four of the latter, while the former fairly swarmed everywhere. 



As to the valley butterflies, the advanced season was as apparent with 



* HaiTi.s, however, on the authority of Oakes, gives June as one of the months of 

 its flight. 



