ANTHOCARIS II. 



Chrysalis. — Length .9 inch. Slender, cylindrical, thickest in the middle, 

 tapering therefrom pretty evenly, the extremities bemg of nearly equal size, the 

 anterior a little flattened ; viewed laterally, the figure is that of a highly obtuse- 

 angled triangle, the sides equal, the base nearly straight, there being only a 

 slight wave at thorax ; color gray-brown, covered with fine longitudinal darker 

 streaks. 



This species is common in California and Colorado. It is also brought from 

 Utah, Arizona, and Montana, and from Vancouver's Island. The late Robert 

 Kennicott sent me, some years ago, a specimen taken by himself on the Yukon 

 River, a very high latitude for a species of so delicate a genus. In the At- 

 lantic States, the allied A. Genutia is very rarely found north of latitude 40°, 

 twenty degrees south of the Yukon River. Of the habits of this species Mr. 

 Henry Edwards writes : " It is one of the very first to appear in spring, and 

 as early as the end of February, if the weather be moderately warm, may be 

 seen sporting over the flowers of Brassica, Radix, and other cruciferous plants. 

 It is local, but where found, occurs in some abundance. Through the whole of 

 the San Joaquin, Alameda, and Napa valleys it is common, though only in the 

 early season, for it is single-brooded, and its existence seems to terminate about 

 the end of April." 



The larva was discovered by Mr. Mead, in Colorado, in 1871, and from one 

 sent by him the drawing on the Plate was made. Mr. Mead wrote, 28th June, 

 as follows : " At Turkey Creek Junction there were many eggs and some larvte 

 of Ausonides to be found, the latter feeding on the flowers and seed-vessels 

 of a cruciferous plant. The eggs were long, ribbed longitudinally, and in color 

 light yellow. The larvae are solitary, and are seen stretched at length on the 

 stem or seed-pods of the plant." 



From a chrysalis also sent by Mr. Mead, the butterfly emerged at Coalburgh, 

 in the spring of 1872. 



There is a striking resemblance between the larva of Ausonides and that of 

 Picrls Protodice, a butterfly very common in the Southern and Western States. 

 Their larvie are more alike in color, form, and markings than often happens be- 

 tween species of the same genus. The chrysalids, on the contrary, may be said 

 to have no resemblance whatever. 



Ausonides, as remarked by Di\ Boisduval, is scarcely distinguishable from 

 Ausonia, Hubner, a species found in the regions bordering the Mediterranean, 

 and subject to much variation, especially in the degree of mottling of the under 

 side of secondaries. Tlie alpine var. Siinplonia, Freyer, seems nearest the usual 

 American type, though we have also individuals in which the markings approach 

 Bella, Esper, considered to be another variety of Ausonia. A comparison of 



