BUTTEBFLIES OP THE DISTRICT OP COLUMBIA 229 



When frightened this skipper often makes an irregular dash of 

 a few feet and drops into the grass, in the same manner as the least 

 skipper {AncyloxypJia iiurtvitor) and Atrytone fontiac. On such 

 occasions it will rise 2 or 3 inches above the grass tops. 



This species seems to take but little interest in flowers. It is some- 

 times seen on the flowers of the buttonbush with the wings tightly 

 closed above the back and the fore wings drawn as far as possible 

 in between the hind wings. It is quite unsuspicious, but if fright- 

 ened it flies diagonally downward with a weak skipping flight into 

 the grass, where alone, apparently, it feels secure. 



In spite of the abundance of the males, females are rather scarce, 

 and I found only 3 among more than 50 males actually caught and 

 many more observed. 



Season. — The hovering skipper is single brooded, flying through 

 July. In 1929 I made a very careful search for this butterfly 

 week by week, and it certainly was not present up to and including 

 June 29. But it was common on July 4, when many of the indi- 

 viduals were worn. It must appear, therefore, about July 1, or about 

 a week after Atrytone pontiao, which flies with it. In 1928 it was 

 exceedingly abundant on July 15, when most of the more than 50 

 caught were fresh. On July 23 the numbers were greatly reduced and 

 all the individuals were very frayed. On July 30 none were found. 



According to Mr. Scudder. this species appears in New England 

 in the first half of June, a second brood appearing in the second 

 week in July, " fresh specimens continuing to emerge throughout 

 this month and remaining on the wing until after the middle, and 

 probably nearly to the end, of August." 



My experience with this insect in the vicinity of Boston, which 

 is limited to a single bog surrounded by woods and subject to 

 inundation in the spring, indicates that the time of the first appear- 

 ance and the length of the season are the same as here, and also that 

 the insect is single brooded. Mr. Laurent found it to have but a 

 single brood in the vicinity of Philadelphia. 



It is quite likely that the time of the first appearance of this 

 butterfly varies considerably with the type of bog inhabited. If 

 this were the case, a small series of specimens assembled from differ- 

 ent bogs might very easily give the appearance of a 2-brooded form. 



POANES VIATOR (Edwards) 



Bboad-wingeh) Skippek 



Plate 20, Figures 3, 4 



Mr. Shoemaker writes me that Mr. Schonborn told him he had 

 taken this species on flowers in the United States Botanic Garden. 



