86 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



but at last the trees thinned on the left, and we crossed a bridge spanning 

 the stream which fed the bog. 



The bog began near the road, and for a little distance was on one 

 side overgrown with thick shrubbery, and on the other by small scattering 

 junipers; below this it was clear, save for the cranberry vines, and followed 

 the broad, shallow trough of its sluggish stream until hidden by a turn to 

 the right. 



We made for the quaggy ground and separated. Here and there 

 within the radius of vision flashed silvery-gray spots, which when approached 

 resolved themselves into epixanthe butterflies, members of a species which 

 for many a year had kept the details of its earlier life a profound secret. 

 Dr. Wm. Saunders had suggested Menya^ithes trifoliata as the food of the 

 larva, but though the name had remained in mind the plant was not 

 among our vegetable acquaintances. Rumex verticillatiis had also been 

 mentioned as a possibility by Scudder, apparently because hypophlceas 

 and thoc fed upon plants of that genus. Cranberry, the most obvious 

 supposition (since epixanthe is found only in cranberry bogs), seemed 

 almost out of the reckoning by reason of the repeated failure of those who 

 had sought the larva thereon. Still, failures are not conclusive evidence, 

 and to the cranberry we pinned most of our hopes and all of our females. 

 There were not many of these, though males were quite abundant, and at 

 noon we had but four under gauze. 



It was nearly half-past one when the next female was sighted at the 

 edge of the juniper growth. After flitting about for a few minutes, she 

 hesitated above a clump of Sphagnufu, and fluttered down into the tangle 

 of cranberry vines growing from the moss. Here flight was impossible, 

 and though her wings continued to vibrate rapidly, the motion was 

 evidently indulged in as a means of balancing, progress up and down the 

 young stalks being accomplished entirely with her legs. At length she 

 came to rest so deep among the vines that her position was made out with 

 difflcuity ; with half-spread wings she remained for a moment motionless, 

 then buzzed rapidly upward into the net-bag held to receive her. 



The egg was soon discovered on the under surface of a new leaf of 

 Vacciniiim macrocarpus (larger cranberry), about an inch from the end of 

 the branch. As f^ir as we could judge, it did not differ in size, shape or 

 ornamentation from the egg of ChrysopJianus t/ioc\ though direct com- 

 parison was imposssble at the time. 



The female was confined over cranberry, and within three minutes 

 oviposited twice. The eggs were placed as in the former instance, upon 



