ARCTIC BUTTERFIJES CLARK 285 



lichens, so that an ordinary passer-by would look at them without 

 observing their presence. The surface of the wings is generally ex- 

 posed so as to receive the fullest rays of the sun, or else the creature 

 falls so as to let the wind sweep over it, its base to windward. In 

 either case the fore wings are not fully drawn back between the hind 

 wings. But when at rest for the night, or if the wind be sweeping 

 fiercely, the fore wings are drawn completely back between the hind 

 wings. These butterflies are fond of flowers, and often alight on the 

 blossoms of the moss campion, or on some plant of the heath family, 

 particularly blueberries. They are also fond of the flowers of the 

 mountain sandwort. 



The best collecting places for this species are the sedgy plateaus 

 of the northeastern and southern sides of Mount Washington. They 

 are found most abundantly from about one-quarter to three-quarters 

 of a mile from the summit, at an elevation of about 5,600 to 6,200 

 feet above the sea. He never found them about the heads of any of 

 the deep ravines where the White Mountain fritillary {Brenthis char- 

 idea montinus (pi. 1, figs. 5, 6)) is most common. 



Bogs and morasses form the chosen home of that relative of the 

 White Mountain butterfly that is found near Bangor, Maine {0. 

 jutta (pi. 5, figs. 39, 41)). Wherever it occurs it is to be found 

 only in such uninviting places. And within the bogs themselves it 

 is often very local, living only in a small section of them, only where 

 sphagnum is abundant. This butterfly has rather a quick flight and is 

 hard to catch. It rarely rises above the tops of the laurels and other 

 low bushes of the bogs, seldom alights, and is fond of circling around 

 the clumps of juniper bushes that here and there occur. When it 

 does alight, it usually chooses tree trunks for a resting place. In 

 the mating season the females usually rest high up in the trees, and 

 in their search for them the males fly around and up the trunks. 

 This insect is shy and easily startled. When it walks it moves by 

 little jerks, with each jerk advancing less than one quarter of its 

 length. If the wind blows upon it when it is at rest, it tucks the 

 fore wings down between the hind wings so as to reduce the wing 

 area as much as possible. 



Much larger and more brightly colored than these two is another 

 kind that is found about the nothern end of Lake Superior {O. 

 macounii). According to Mr. Scudder the movements of this butter- 

 fly are swift, and in spite of their satyrid character are not unlike 

 those of the viceroy {Basilarchia archippus), which when on the 

 wing it much resembles. 



These three native species well illustrate the diversity among tlie 

 species of Oeneis as a whole. They live in swampy meadows, on 

 grassy mountain slopes, along the edges of woods, especially coniferous 



