PHYCIODES I., II. 



Mead obtained eggs on the 27th July and following days, the larvte from 

 which all hybernated, that would be the second laying of eggs of the season, 

 and the resulting butterflies the first generation of the following year. 



The foregoing Coalburgh observations were supplemented liy others in Au- 

 gust, 1877. Between 14th and 20th, I obtained three lots of eggs, from which 

 the larvte in due time emerged. Those of the first all went on to maturity, giv- 

 ing butterflies after middle of September, the last emerging 2Gth. But of the 

 other two lots all became lethargic. The reason for this difterence I could not 

 conjecture. It certainly was not owing to any change in the weather. In the 

 field tlie species was abundant from loth to 25th August (this being the third 

 brood of the year).- But one month later, when the fourth brood should be fly- 

 ing, examples were remarkably scarce. In fixct, I did not see more than a dozen. 

 On 23d, I took one male, two females ; one of the last was fresh from chrysalis 

 and a fine Marcia, Var. C, such as I take here in the spring. The other two 

 were the summer form of the species. On 2Gth, I took a female and set on as- 

 ter. She laid about twenty-five eggs and all proved infertile. It would seem, 

 therefore, that in this district, part of the larva) from eggs laid by females of the 

 third brood, middle of August, hybernate, and that the butterflies of the next 

 spring proceed from such larva; only, no larvaj of any preceding brood having 

 been known to hj'bernate. But a part of the larva3 of this third brood go on to 

 maturity and produce butterflies last of September. Some of these may lay fertile 

 eggs, but only in a very mild October could the larvoB from them mature, or 

 their butterflies appear, and the geuorations could certainly go no further. But 

 at the south, in the Gulf States, this fourth brood (there probably the fifth, owing 

 to the interpolation of a brood in the spring) no doubt does mature, and its but- 

 terflies produce larvte which hybernate ; for fresh examples of the butterfly are 

 taken in October and November, in Georgia and Texas. Of several received 

 from Mr. Boll, taken in November, one was a female 3Iarcia, C, the others 

 being of the summer form. There seems to be some tendency to a premature 

 disclosure of the winter form in the last months of the year, such as is known 

 in case of Colias Eurytheme. The same thing has been noticed in Phyciodes 

 Phaon also. 



At Coalburgh, therefore, there are three full generations, the first of whicli is 

 Marcia, the second and third Morpheus, and the larvaj from the third in part 

 hybernate. But those larva) whicli go on to maturity produce the fourth gen- 

 eration of the butterfly, which is a partial one, and practically infertile. And in 

 the Catskills, the species is digoneutic, there being two generations annually, the 

 first of which is Marcia and the other 3Iorpheus, and a certain porportion of the 

 larvae proceeding from the first hybernate, so far as appears, and all those from 



