180 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE WEST COAST 



The preliminary stages of Weidmeyeri are not yet made known. 



The food-plants are probably salix, populus, and perhaps some 

 others, as some of these desert butterflies are inclined to be om- 

 nivorous. 



238. Limenitis Sinefascia. 



No figure. 

 Sinefascia is a variation of Weidmeyeri, similar to what Arizon- 

 ensis is of Astynax, namely, a form in which the median band of 

 white spots becomes obsolete, or at least obsolescent, and the whole 

 wing is covered with the black ground-color, no white spots being 

 present. 



239. Limenitis Obsoleta. 



Plate XXIII; Figure 239, Tucson, Arizona, June, 1887; 

 Author. 



This is a figure of a male. Obsoleta is a ver\' peculiar looking 

 thing for a Limenitis ; it looks much more like a Danais ; in fact, 

 it is often mistaken for Danais Berenice, being the same color and 

 the same size ; but the peculiar venation, with the cell of the hind 

 wing open, places it in with the Limenitis. This has always been 

 rather rare, and still is so, although it has been sought after so 

 much of late years that it is not now so rare as formerly. 



Obsoleta is found in Southern Arizona only. It is fond of sail- 

 ing around the cottonwood trees, and so high up that the collector 

 needs a ladder to climb up on to get them. In flight they more 

 resemble a Danais than a Limenitis ; they do not sail around with 

 wings extended out flat, as do the Limenitis proper, with that 

 twitching of the wings which is so peculiar. 



The preliminary stages of Obsoleta have never been studied out. 



The larval food-plant is, doubtless, populus, the leaves of the 

 cottonwood tree ; possibly, also, willow. 



240. Limenitis Lorquini. 



Plate XXIII ; Figure 240, Vancouver Island, June, 1891 ; 

 Author. 

 Figure, male. This example is selected from among many 

 others to show the eflFect of climate, in causing the apices to be so 

 scantily reddened, for in those specimens taken at the south the red 

 apices are much more obvious ; it is also small in size, as befits 

 that cold region, and the band of white spots is smaller, in har- 

 mony with the small red apices. 



