36 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [ISSo. 



January 23. 

 The President, Dr. Leidy, in the chair. 

 Twenty-six persons present. 



Ovipositing of Argynnis cyhele. — Mr. H. Skinner remarked 

 that he had noticed a female of Argynnis cybele acting as though 

 it were ovipositing, and seeing that it behaved in a peculiar 

 manner, he was led to watch its proceedings carefull}^ Instead of 

 attaching or cementing its eggs to the plant on which the young 

 or larvae are destined to feed, which is the usual habit of butterflies 

 and moths, it hovered about a foot in height over a bed of violets, 

 and at intervals would remain stationary and drop an egg from 

 this distance to the food plant below. This seemed a remarkable 

 procedure, inasmuch as it differed from the method which has 

 been found to be so constant in this order, It remains to be seen 

 whether this species always drops it eggs from a height, or only 

 behaves in the peculiar manner occasionally while ovipositing. 

 Also whether the other species of the genus Argynnis lay their 

 eggs in a like manner. He thought it quite likely that A. myrina 

 and A. hellona do so occasionally, as they differ from the other 

 butterflies in the readiness with which the^y lay their eggs. He 

 had known them to oviposit in chip boxes or other receptacles in 

 which the}"^ were confined. He knew of no other species which 

 behave thus. It had been stated that the species of the genus 

 feed only on violets, which was probably not the case. 



The following, received through the Botanical Section, was 

 ordered to be printed : — 



