BUTTERFLIES OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 219 



feed by preference in this attitude, they will on occasion, especially 

 the larger ones, feed with the body more or less vertical. 



On the thistle heads it is interesting to contrast the varied positions 

 of Atalopedes canipestris, Polites coras, P. cernes, and Epargyreus 

 tltyrus with the unvarying attitude assumed by Leonard's skipper. 



This species is shy and suspicious, and when alarmed darts off 

 from its elevated perch at any angle, so that, its small size considered, 

 it is exceptionally difficult to capture. As is the case with most small 

 skippers, it is quick to discover small holes in a net, and very adept 

 in escaping through them. 



Its flight is rather high, and it is often seen coursing about a foot 

 or so above the grass tops in the usual irregular angular fashion of a 

 skipper. The flight seems to be less rapid than the flight of other 

 skippers of corresponding size, such as Atalopedes cainpesti'is or 

 Prenes panoquin^ but this may be due to the fact that because of its 

 color and because of the height at which it flies it is more easily 

 followed by the eye. 



In 1930 this butterfly was observed in numerous localities in the 

 vicinity of Boston, Mass., where it appears just before the middle of 

 August and reaches its maximum abundance in the last week in 

 August, after which an increasing proportion of the individuals are 

 worn and faded and the numbers decrease. 



About Boston it is common in damp meadows. Three or four may 

 often be seen playing together 5 or 6 feet above the ground, and in 

 favorable localities a dozen or more may be taken on the joe-pye-weed 

 in the course of an hour. 



After observing this species during the period of maximum abun- 

 dance about Boston, I returned to Washington and made corre- 

 sponding observations during the period of maximum abundance 

 here nearly three weeks later. The relative scarcity of this insect in 

 the vicinity of the District is very striking. 



Notes. — The underside of the hind wings in this species is subject 

 to considerable variation. In some males the ground color is deep 

 cinnamon with the spots reduced to small dots, while in a male from 

 Newton, Mass., the ground color is light buff with the spots greatly 

 enlarged and confluent, forming a broad angled band. 



ERYNNIS SASSACUS SASSACUS (Harris) 



Indian SKiPPEat 



Plate 21, Figures 8, 9 



I have a specimen of the Indian skipper, unfortunately without 

 date, taken in a moist meadow near the canal beyond Cabin John. 



