BUTTERFLIES OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 151 



frequent in the city parks, and occasionally strays into the busi- 

 ness section of Washington. 



History. — Until a very few years ago this was a rare butterfly in 

 this region. It was first mentioned as occurring in Washington in 

 1888, when Otto Lugger published a short note saying that he had 

 seen an example of " eurytheine., or rather a very pale variety of it, 

 looking like Piei'is" flying about some flowers of dandelion in the 

 Department of Agriculture grounds on November 11, 1886. It is 

 somewhat difficult to say just what this form of the species could 

 have been, but it would seem that it must have been one of the white 

 females slightly tinged with pink on the discal portion of the fore 

 wings and with yellow on the hind wings. Only a white female 

 could be compared with a species of Pieris^ and the usual white 

 female could not be distinguished with certainty from the white 

 female of C. philodice unless it were caught and closely examined. 



There is a single broken male of the form ainphidusa without date 

 from the District in the Schonborn collection. In view of the fact 

 that Mr. Schonborn kept only a very small series of perfect speci- 

 mens this would indicate that he found it rare. The National 

 Museum contains a male of the form ariadne taken in the District 

 on September 6, 1904, by C. R. Ely, and I have seen a male of the 

 form amfhidiisa taken in the District about 1910 and subsequently 

 mounted in a tea tray. 



I have a single female taken just across the Military Road from 

 Rock Creek Park by Austin B. J. Clark on September 24, 1923. 



In 1925 this butterfly was occasional in the meadows west of Cabin 

 John, whence I have specimens, all females, dated September 11, 19, 

 and 27 and October 11. The greatest number seen in any one day 

 was three. A particularly fine white female was captured on 

 September 19. 



In 1926 this species was much more numerous, particularly in the 

 higher regions to the northwest of the District, and some unusually 

 fine males were captured. Specimens were taken on August 27, and 

 on September 8 and 9. On September 8 no less than seven were 

 caught, and about as many more were seen but not captured. In 

 this year it was noticed in the Smithsonian Institution grounds on 

 September 18 and 20 and on October 11 and 13. 



In 1927 it was exceedingly abundant from the middle of July until 

 the end of the season. In the higher and more exposed areas, as 

 about Silver Spring and Somerset, Md., its numbers were equal to 

 more than half the numbers of the yellow clover {G olios pMlodice) 

 when the latter was at its maximum. Indeed, on some days there 

 seemed to be no difference in the frequency of the two species. It 

 was common in the Smithsonian and Department of Agriculture 

 66544^-32 U 



