54 



wing, but the enlargement and maturity of every scale or feather on it, the individuals of 

 which appear but as particles of dust to the naked eye. 'What a wonderful and intricate 

 Bystcm of circulation and power of nutrition must be possessed to accomplish this marvellous 

 result. 



The Archippus Butterfly fsee Fig. 43) is so well known that it needs but little defcrip- 

 tion to recall its appearance, especially where so good a figure is given. The ground colour 

 of the wings when fresh is a beautifully bright orange red, the veins are heavy and black, 

 and the margins are spotted with white, the latter being more or less covered or encroached 

 upon by the general colour. Near the middle of the hind wings there appears in the figure, 

 on one of the veins, an enlarged black streak or blotch, which, when closely examined, is 

 found to be a small excrescence : as this is found only on the wings of the male, the sexes 

 may be readily distinguished by this peculiarity. 



We have frequently seen these butterflies in great numbers on pine trees which have 

 been infested with aphis, attracted there no doubt lay the sweet exudations which flow from 

 the bodies of the apliis. thus interfering with the rights and privileges which have always 

 been accorded to the industrious ant. They also have a fishioii of congregating at times 

 usually late in the season, in prodigious swarms, consisting of tens of thousands or hundreds 

 of thousands of individuals. In September. 1871, we met with a f.warm of this character, 

 the particulars of which were communicated to the Canadian Enlomnloriisl, Volume 3, Page 

 156, as follows: — "On the first d^y of September while driving along the Lake Shore Road 

 on the borders of Lake Erie, I was favoured with a sight which will not soon be forgotten. 

 For several days previous urdiijjpnR butteiflies had been unusually abundant, and early in 

 the morning on the day in question, some groups — numbering probably hundreds of indivi- 

 duals — which had rested during the night on trees adjoining the hotel at Port Stanley, 

 were gyrating in a wild manner at all heights, some so high up that they appeared but as 

 moving specks in the sky ; others floating lower, over the tops of the trees in an apparently 

 aimless manner. This was, however, as a mere skirmishing party when compared with the 

 vast hosts seen a little later. 



" It was about nine o'clock in the morning, when, passing a group of trees forming a 

 rude semi-circle on thfe edge of a wood f icing the lake, the leaves attracted attention , they 

 seemed possessed of unusual motion and displayed all over fitful patches of brilliant red. 

 On alighting, a nearer approach revealed the presence of vast numbers — I might safely say 

 milliiins — of these butterflies, i.nd they were clustering everywhere. I counted those on a 

 small space, about the size of my two h;:nds, on one of the trees, and there were thirty-two 

 butterflies suspended on it, and the whole gn up of tree.* was hung in a similar manner. 

 When disturbed they flew up in immense numbers filling the fir, and after floating about a 

 short time gradually settled again. There appeared to be nothing ou the trees to attract 

 them, yet when undisturbed they seemed to prefer resting in quiet, as if enjoying the pres- 

 ence of congenial society. I regretted not having a net with me, as I should like to have 

 captured a number of them, to have seen in what proportion the sexes were represented in 

 the company. Their food plants — the various species of Asclcpias — did not appear to be un- 

 usually common in that section. I apprehended that many of the individuals must have 

 travelled seme distance to be present at this gathering" No satisfactory reason has yet been 

 assigned for such gatherings. The f ict that the larvse of the archippus is but seldi m affected 

 with parasites may partially account for theit occasional abundance ; we only kaow of one 

 email icLneumou iufesti; g them, and have but rarely met with this. 



The Disippus Butterfly. (Limeniiis disippus, Godt.) 



This butterfly is also common, but not nearly so abundant as the species last described. 

 In the perfect, or winaed state, it re.-emblcs the airhipjms butterfly very closely in colour, 

 but ii is smaller in size and may always be dist-nguished by the black band which crossed 

 the hind wings, which is altogether wanting in the oirliippvs. 



The di.-iijfvs buttcifly is represented by Fig. 44. The sround co'our of the wings 

 is of the same warm orange red as the airhippii-'<; the veins also are heavy and black, and 

 the wings along their margins spotted with white. In the figure the left wings represent 



