286 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



tinning ten or twelve days,* and the butterflies appear in the southernmost 

 parts of New Enghxnd (and probably in the Connecticut valley), from the 

 5th to the 10th of June, though only in limited numbers ; in the latitude 

 of Boston they seldom appear before the 18th or 20th, although single 

 specimens have been seen by the 12th or 15th, and they do not become 

 abundant before the close of the month. The butterflies continue to 

 emerge from the chrysalis until nearly the middle of July and are still seen 

 in early August. The eggs are laid in July, at least as early as the 10th 

 and some at least of the butterflies produced from them are on the wing 

 long before the middle of August, seldom appearing about Boston before 

 the 20th, but in the Connecticut valley a week or more earlier, and flying 

 through the month of September. Owing perhaj)s to the attacks of para- 

 sites which persecute only the summer brood of caterpillars, or more 

 probably to the peculiarity of its history, which seems to be similar to that 

 given by Gartner for Nymphalis aceris (i.e. that some of the August cater- 

 pillars grow to maturity the same year, while others grow more slowly and 

 hibernate when half grown, the spring brood of butterflies being thus made 

 up from both broods of the previous year's caterpillars — see under Basi- 

 larchia) this second brood is considerably less abundant than the first and 

 does not last so long, specimens of the earlier generation being seen even 

 after the appearance of the second brood, while of the latter all have dis- 

 appeared early in October ; these lay their eggs at the very end of August 

 and in September, and the caterpillars hibernate after the first or second 

 moult. 



Dr. Harris is quite mistaken in saying (Ins. inj. veget., od ed., 283), 

 that "the caterpillars of the last brood remain in the chrysalis state 

 throughout the winter and are changed to butterflies in the months of 

 April and May following ;" the second brood of caterpillars would not 

 have time to reach the chrysalis state before the advent of cold weather and 

 there are no memoranda of capture of the butterfly in those early months 

 among Dr. Harris's manuscripts ; if they were so taken they were proba- 

 bly butterflies which had hibernated as such, like the possible single instance 

 Mr. Lintner records for B. archippus.| This is rendered the more proba- 

 ble from the fact that Dr. Chapman has taken a single specimen in Florida 

 as early as February 20, wliile the earliest bred by Abbot were disclosed 

 on April 12. There are probably two broods in the south previous to the 

 late summer brood, the first appeanng before the middle of April and 

 lasting until after the appearance of the second brood, Avhich seems to be 

 more abundant than the first ; it appears early in June and continues to 

 emerge from the chrysalis until nearly the last of July, and to fly through 



*Iu the southern statcH, according to Ab- this extract that Dr. Harris became familiar 

 hot, from seven to nine days. with the hil)ernacu]a of the species of Basilar- 



tlt was doubtless subsequently to writing chia; cf . his Entom. corresp. 



