NYMHIALIXAE: POLYCiOXTA. (OMMA. 341 



August. As a general rule, however, the spring form is ciryas, the 

 autumn form harrisii. 



Further south, the speeies is triple-broodetl. "The hihernating females 

 deposit their eggs last of April or early in May, and the first brood of the 

 butterflies emerges from chrysalis about Ist June ; but should the weather 

 be cold during May then from the middle to last of June. The second 

 laying of eggs occurs in July, between 15th and 30th, and the butterflies 

 from these appear last of August or first of September. And the third 

 laying occurs in September, the butterflies therefrom emerging in Octo- 

 ber" (Edwards). The first brood is composed of dry as only "with a 

 single exception when one harrisii male emerged " ; the second of both 

 forms, and the third of harrisii only. 



Habits, flight, etc They are very wary insects with a quick, nervous 

 riight, yet at the same time audacious even to pugnacity,, darting recklessly 

 at and about objects in the air, vainly pursuing even passing birds or 

 dragon files, and tussling with each other to such an extent that their 

 wings are almost invariably rubbed and ragged in a short time after 

 eclosion. "The most perverse disregard of all measures of safety," 

 says De Garmo, is exhibited by comma. 



This little butterfly usually takes his pastime toward sunset, when only now and 

 then a patch of sunlia^ht remains among the shadows of trees, especially upon some 

 gate post or the trunk of a tree, or a sidewalk. When disturbed very roughly they 

 will take a zizzag trip over a tree, or a house top, or a fence, and often without 

 lighting anywhere, return to the old spot within six inches. Many times I have put 

 my hand on the coveted spot and had the little Grapta light upon them. Sometimes 

 they will light upon my hat or the net I hold in my hand, evidently entirely uncon- 

 scious of danger. But motion, even of a straw, will frighten them away. This pecu- 

 liarity in their sense of danger is easily explicable. The enemies most deadly to them 

 are the birds. These attack mostly from above, and always on the wing. They use 

 no caution in securing their prey, but swoop down upon them at great velocity. In 

 all my watching I have never seen a bird take a butterfly from beneath. The pewee 

 will either drop like lightning from its branch upon the prey, or if the prey is above 

 it, will rise to an altitude above the prey and drop down upon it. Hence its knowledge 

 of danger, or if you prefer it, its organized experience of danger, is all from above, 

 and from something in rapid motion. From beneath, even when in a position on a 

 pendulous flower or leaf to see perfectly, they can be approached Avith much greater 

 ease and certainty of capture (Trans. Vass. Br. inst. , ii : 130). 



Again this writer says : — 



Often the little comma Avill follow a much larger butterfly , perhaps the aphrodite or 

 idalia, now under, now over it, in swift zizzag movements, as if enjoying it hugely, 

 while receiving no attention from the larger specimen. Sometimes the comma will 

 pursue, as if in sport, a beetle or a wasp, — in such cases keeping a good distance away, 

 but continuing the pursuit for some rods. Once I saw a comma and an alope rising 

 high in the air together, going over and over each other in sportive mood, when a 

 pewee bird shot swiftly upon the alope and bore it ofl". The little comma folded its 

 Avings back to back, and in half the time I am taking to tell it, literally dropped to 

 Avithin two or three feet of the ground, recovered its Avings and then hid in a thick 

 evergreen tree close by. On foUoAving it. it seemed unhurt, but greatly alarmed, cease- 

 lessly changing its position from limb to limb, and Anally getting under a large limb, 

 and remaining vei-y nearly motionless (Trans. Vass. Br. inst.. ii : 184). 



