112 BULLETIN 15 7, U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 



markings above broadened and often blurred and the underside of 

 the hind wings more or less strongly Avashed with cinnamon. These 

 dark males appear with, or only a few days after, the males of the 

 usual type. 



The summer of 1931 offered especially favorable conditions for a 

 study of this butterfly. The earliest individuals of both sexes were 

 light in color both above and below, and were very much alike. In 

 June, larger and much darker individuals appeared, the females 

 especially being exceedingly dark with the hind wings relatively 

 longer than in the earlier ones and having a suggestion of a broadly 

 rounded angle in the lower third of the outer margin, and notice- 

 ably larger than the males. These large and richly colored 

 individuals were abundant in July, occurring — in some local- 

 ities, at least — almost or quite to the exclusion of the pale form. 

 But in August they gradually disappeared, being replaced by in- 

 dividuals rather paler both above and below than the earliest in- 

 dividuals, quite uniform in color, with the two sexes of the same 

 color and of approximately the same size. These remained com- 

 mon until the end of the season. This is probably the regular sea- 

 sonal sequence of forms of this region. 



ARGYNNIS APHRODITE APHRODITE (Fabricius) 



Aphroditb 



Plate 16, Figures 1, 2; Plate 17, Figures 1, 2; Plate 18, Figures 1, 2; Plate 

 19, Figures 1, 2; Plate 20, Figures 1, 2 



Occu7Tence. — Rare; I took a single fresh but damaged female on 

 August 10, 1927, near the wooded banks of the small stream through 

 the pasture across Blair Road from the Hyslop estate at Silver 

 Spring, and met with two males, one on July 4 and the other on 

 July 7, 1928, in the same place. On July 4, 1930, 1 caj)tured a female 

 in the bog at Beltsville, and also a male in a pasture at the edge of 

 the woods along Paint Branch. On June 20, 1931, I took a male at 

 Cabin John. William Schaus tells me he has found it in this region. 



Season. — Apparently this species here, as in New England, does not 

 emerge until about the first of July, from which date it is to be 

 found until the end of the summer. Its first appearance contem- 

 poraneously with Brenthis inyrina and four or five weeks later than 

 the first appearance of A. cyhele is noteworthy. Farther south in 

 the mountains of North Carolina, where it is locally abundaat, it 

 also is first on the wing about the first of July, while A. cyhele., as 

 in this region, appears toward the end of May. 



Habits. — This butterfly has a somewhat more erratic and more 

 nervous flight than A. cyhele^ and the two are easily distinguished on 



