LIMENITIS I. 



Avinter. As the weather in sirring becomes settled and warm, they emerge from 

 their cases, feed a few days sparingly, and pass the third moult, soon to be fol- 

 lowed by the fourth and last, and must change to clirysalids from 1st to 15th 

 June. 



The form Proserjnna was by many lepidopterists considered to be a variation 

 of Ursula ; by others as a probable hybiud between tliat species and Arthemis ; 

 and others, again, suspected dimorphism with Arthemis. To settle the point. Mi-. 

 Mead made efforts to breed from the eggs of both forms in 1875, and in Can. 

 Ent., A'lL, p. 102, relates the history of the experiment as follows : " In obtaining 

 eggs of Arthemis, I have been very successful, partly, I tliink, on account of a 

 metliod of keeping the parent in good health and spirits, devised some years 

 ago, and which has given very satisfactory results. A notch is cut in the side 

 of an empty wooden box, through which a branch of willow may be passed, 

 care being taken to select a leafy spray so as to partially fill tlie Hox with foli- 

 age. It is then covered with gauze tacked fast on one side and part w^ay on 

 the adjoining sides, that on the fourth being held down by a piece of wood 

 fastened to the remaining flap of gauze. This renders easy the examination 

 of the contents at any time. A saucer of raw dried apple, sugared, and partly 

 filled with water, is put in, and the cage is comjjlete. Butterflies like Ar- 

 themis will live in such a vivarium for two weeks and more after their ca])ture, 

 and appear to enjoy the food provided for them immensely, laying many more 

 eggs than if inclosed in a bag and allowed to perish of hunger and thirst. My 

 fifteen females of Arthemis have laid a very large number of eggs, probably over 

 five himdred. They at first observe the usual custom of depositing the eggs on 

 the tips of the leaves, but become i-eckless after a while and lay them anywhere. 

 I counted considerably over a hundred upon the cloth covering the box. A fe- 

 male of Proserpina has also laid thirty-one eggs." This was last of July, at 

 Hunter, in the Catskills. The Iarva3 from these eggs in lax'ge numbers lived to 

 make their cases, and part were brought by me to Coalbui-gh, while Mr. Mead 

 retained part at Ithaca, N. Y. All these were found to be dead in the spring, 

 from our not understanding the conditions necessary for preserving them. But a 

 few of the Arthemis larvas had been allowed to feed on the leaves of a small wil- 

 low, in New York city, and to make their cases on it, and three or four were alive 

 These all produced Arthemis, and we therefore knew no more of the relationship 

 of Prosa'2)ina than before. 



In August, 1876, I went to the Catskills too late by nearly a month for the 

 season of these butterflies. But a few individuals, mostly females, were still fly- 

 ing, and I took some of each form and treated as directed by Mr. Mead. All re 

 fused to lay except one Proserpina, which deposited eleven eggs. The efleet ol 



