SATYRINAE: CISSIA EURYTUS. 221 



that "fresh butterflies" . . . are flying here [W. Va.] in the fall." He also 

 reared one to imago from eggs of the same year, and I have done the 

 same in Camliridge, though in my case it was in the house and the 

 caterpillar did not change to chrysalis until October 13. 



The caterpillar is, however, so very sluggish in its movements and, 

 under favorable environment, plenty of food and protection from the 

 inclemency of the weather, takes so long to undergo its changes (normally 

 hibernating in New England, to judge from the experience in several 

 seasons, in the last larval stage), that it seems quite impossible that the 

 fresh July butterflies noted by Mr. Sprague could have come from eggs of 

 the same season. The insect must be single brooded. It seems rather 

 more probable that some caterpillars overtaken by the cold season in 

 their penultimate or even a preceding stage, reached their development at 

 a correspondingly later period the following year ; but why these should 

 appear after their more steady companions had had their season and disap- 

 peared is a question to be solved, and the species will bear a good deal of 

 experimental study before this can be determined. It Avould seem as if 

 this July brood were an accidental oflPshoot trying to perpetuate itself, and 

 by the necessities of the case breeding in and in, and taking like the alter- 

 nate brood an entire year for the completion of its cycle. 



The normal continuance of the species in New England after the flight 

 of the j\Iay-June butterflies is as follows ; the butterfly lays its eggs in the 

 latter half of June, all that I have seen between June 20 and 25, and they 

 hatch as above stated in about 13 days. The caterpillar grows slowly 

 to at least its penultimate stage and often nearly to maturity before hiberna- 

 ting, feeds more or less in early spring and changes to chrysalis in May, 

 when the butterflies appear again. 



Flight and posture. This shade-loving butterfly has a dancing flight, 

 skipping here and there with careless grace and ceaseless movement about 

 three or four feet above the ground, disappearing among the foliage and 

 anon reappearing, so that one loves to stand in the quiet wood, watch its 

 fanciful movements, and dream that fairies float on butterfly wings. 



Eurytus walks, as it flies, by a succession of spasmodic little starts. 

 When at rest upon a horizontal surface the body is elevated anteriorly at 

 an angle of about 25° and the wings are closed back to back, so that the 

 inner margin of the fore wing just reaches the upper submarginal spot on the 

 superior surface of the hind wing. The antennae spread at an angle of 

 80° and are raised at an angle of about 25° with the body ; they are not 

 straight, but curved at the base a little upAvard and forward, and at the tip 

 about as much downward and forward and also very slightly outward ; the 

 position of the antennae is the same during motion. 



Desiderata. By far the most important point for study in the histoiy 

 of this butterfly, all of whose stages are known, is to solve the problem of 



