BUTTERFLIES OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 77 



specimen taken by D. H. Clemons in Rock Creek Park on October 

 11, 1908. 



Notes. — This butterfly was unusually common in the summer of 

 1928, but was very scarce in the summer of 1929 and of 1930. 



Reinarks. — Good specimens of this fine insect are easily secured 

 by gathering the little shelters in which the caterpillars spend the 

 winter and raising them to maturity in spring. 



In a series of 12 specimens from the vicinity of Boston (pi, 5, 

 figs. 3, 4) the undersurface of the hind wings within the submar- 

 ginal series of dull orange spots is rusty brown with, except in a 

 single instance, no trace whatever of metallic luster. There are 

 usually two or three bluish spots at the base of the wing, which, how- 

 ever, are scarcely metallic. The ground color of the apical portion 

 of the fore wings is the same as that of the hind wings;' that of the 

 inner portion is usually darker and less rusty. In some cases the 

 difference is slight, while in others this area shows a distinct, though 

 faint, greenish luster. There are two lusterless greenish spots, one 

 on either side of the inner reddish cell spot near the costal margin, 

 and sometimes the entire cell will be thickly studded with greenish 

 scales. The upper surface of the wings is more or less distinctly 

 brownish, esj)ecially the apical portion of the fore wings, and the 

 hind wings and inner portion of the fore wings are only faintly, or 

 scarcely at all, lustrous. The reflections are dark and often more or 

 less bronzy greenish, more rarely purplish. Occasional specimens 

 have a distinct metallic luster over the entire undersurface of the 

 hind wings and inner portion of the fore wings, and a faint luster 

 on the entire upper surface, except for the apical portion of the 

 fore wings. 



In specimens from the District (pi. 5, figs, 1, 2) the hind wings 

 beneath are usually a dark highly lustrous greenish excejDt for long, 

 very dark, rustj^-brown intersticial spots between the veins, and all 

 but the apical portion of the fore wings is lustrous greenish black. 

 Above the wings may be wholly lustrous greenish black except for 

 two elongate deep maroon intersticial spots near the apex of the fore 

 wings, or the apical portion of the fore wings may be more or less 

 extensively brownish. The luster of District specimens is usually 

 more bluish than that of northern examples. As a rule the hind 

 wings of local specimens are less regularly rounded and more dis- 

 tinctly subangulate than are those of specimens from the vicinity 

 of Boston, The latter almost invariably retain a slight trace of the 

 white bands of the typical form. In District specimens this is re- 

 duced to a narrow white streak on the costal border of the underside 

 of the fore wings, and on the fore wings above a narrow greenish 

 or whitish streak on the lower border near the angle with two green- 

 ish spots above it. 



