LYCiENA 11. 



The figiire in Abbot represents the bead as red ; body green ; a dorsal black 

 stripe uninterrupted ; sides with oblique black stripes ; and therefore differs mate- 

 rially from Boisdnval's descrijjtion, as it does also from his figure. 



The present species is found in Virginia, Ohio, and in the mountainous dis- 

 tricts as far south as Georgia ; also in Pennsylvania and occasionally in New York. 



I have often seen it in the months of May and June, upon the Alleghanies of 

 Virginia, sauntering listlessly along scarcely ftister than the lumbering, old-fash- 

 ioned stage coach which still forms the medium of travel in those picturesque re- 

 gions. 



Its large wings and disproportionately slender body give this species a slower 

 and more tortuous and tremulous flight than any other of our eastern Lycaenidse, 



On the Kanawha Eiver it is rather a common species during its season, the 

 males somewhat frequenting the roads, especially where they skirt the edges of the 

 woods, but very much preferring the brooksides in the forest. The females are 

 rarely to be seen in the same localities, but are found in the more open woods among 

 shrubs and low plants. The second brood appears in July and is much less nu- 

 merous than the first. At this season, the channels of the small streams are near- 

 ly dry, and lying as they always do in this region, between lofty and abrupt hills, 

 serve as a highway for many butterflies, Melitseas, Graptas and others. Many may 

 be here taken that are not often seen elsewhere, as the rare P. Tarquinius and Eu- 

 damus Cellus. This last named is exceedingly rare and very local in its habits. 

 Mr. Ridings, while spending some weeks with me, in 1867, discovered a weather 

 beaten log lying across one of these streams in the depths of the forest, on which 

 for an hour or two the mid-day sun shone and on and about which he captured 

 many specimens of Cellus, returning for several successive days for the purpose. 



I was formerly under the impression that the males of all butterflies were very 

 much more numerous than the females. They usually appear earlier and may be 

 on the wing from a week to a fortnight, according to the species, before a female is 

 seen. But I now incline to think the sexes nearly equal in number. This is the 

 result of my experience in rearing from the larvae. The females would naturally 

 be in the neighborhood of the plants upon which their larvae feed, and upon which, 

 the eggs are to be deposited. These are likely to be away from the flowers or the 

 s])Ots frequented by the males and remote ; consequently as a rule far more males 

 are taken by collectors than females. 



Abbot & Smith figured the present species under the name Argiolus, consid- 

 ering it identical with the European species of tbat name, which it strikingly resem- 

 bles in size and color of its upper surface, tliough diifering beneath in several resjiects. 



Boisduval and Leconte describe Fseudargiolus with no reference to Abbot and 

 Smith's figures or name, but refer to the true Argiolus as very near their species, 



