86 BULLETIN 15 7, V. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 



their hiding places. These early in June are joined by numerous 

 fresh individuals from chrysalids that have lived over the winter. 

 Fresh butterflies appear about the end of June and are common until 

 well into August. The second brood appears toward the last of 

 August, and fresh specimens continue to be seen until well into Octo- 

 ber or even November. The butterflies of this brood winter over as 

 adults, and together with them many pupae winter over, giving forth 

 the butterflies in late May or June. As the individuals of this species 

 are long lived, it may be seen on the wing in greater or lesser num- 

 bers continually from late in spring until late in autumn. 



Remarks. — It is almost impossible to secure good examples of this 

 butterfly by catching them in the usual way. But the caterpillars are 

 very readily found by searching for their nests on the false nettle 

 (Boehmeria cylindrica) , or on nettles, in any region where the butter- 

 fly is common, and are easily reared. 



In wet localities this butterfly tends here, as elsewhere, to develop 

 a large and richly colored form (pi. 7, fig. 5), blackish above and 

 much darker below than the usual type (pi. 7, fig. 6), with the wing 

 bands deeper orange and usually narrower. This form seems never to 

 survive the winter. I have seen it on the wing as early as August 27 

 and as late as October 13, but haA^e never found it in spring or early 

 in summer. 



The red admiral was very common in the summer of 1926, when in 

 damp meadows the large, dark form was much in evidence. It was 

 very scarce in 1927 and in 1928, but was common again in 1929, when 

 the dark form reappeared, and also in 1930, though in this year 

 the dark form was not seen. 



Notes. — The northern form of this butterfly is the one found in the 

 District. In Florida, and also in southern Europe and northwestern 

 Africa, there is another form with the orange band across the fore 

 wings narrower, commonly interrupted, and including a small circu- 

 lar white spot. This form, more or less typically developed, occurs 

 north of the District near the coast, reaching New Jersey and south- 

 ern New York. 



PYRAMEIS VIRGINIENSIS (Drury) 



American Painted Lady 

 Plate 27, Figures 1, 2 



Occurrence. — Rather common in open fields throughout the Dis- 

 trict and the surrounding country, usually varying but little in 

 abundance from year to year. 



It is most numerous in dry and more or less infertile fields, espe- 

 cially on exposed hillsides, but it is also common in rich meadow- 

 land or pastures wherever there are abundant flowers, especially the 



