376 



THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW EXCILAND. 



areniis have a similar habit is not stated, but the butterflies of our New 

 England species are among the last to disappear, so far as one can judge 

 from simple dates of capture. The earliest butterflies from chrysalids of 

 the same year appear about the middle of July, and a second irruption or 

 a new brood about the first of September. 



The effirs are laid in clusters around a twiij as in Euvanessa and not as 

 in Polygonia, and naturally, as in the former genus, the larvae feed in 

 company, mostly upon Ulmaceae and Salicaceae. E. californica, how- 

 ever, is said to feed on Ceanothus thyrsiflorus, one of the Rhamnaceae. 

 The caterpillars have the head ordinarily surmounted by a pair of stout, 

 long spines supplied with a whorl of spinules near the middle like those of 

 the preceding genus, and the body provided with spines closely resembling 

 those of the caterpillars of Polygonia but longer. The chrysalis resem- 

 bles that of Polygonia in almost every particular, but with a less com- 

 pressed, dorsal, thoracic prominence and more prominent tubercles on the 

 thorax. These butterflies have generally been placed with Euvanessa and 

 Aglais, but, as will be seen, by the preceding, they are more nearly 

 related to Polvii'onia. 



EXCURSUS X. — BUTTERFLIES AT NIGHT AND AT SEA; 

 OUT OF SEASON AND OUT OF PLACE. 



Far out at sea— the sun was hiuh, 



While veered the wind and flapped the .sail ; 

 We saw a suow-white Ijutterfly 



Dancing before the fitful gale 



Far out at sea. 



The little wanderer, who had lost 



His way, of danger nothing knew; 

 Settled awhile upon the mast ; 



Then fluttered o'er the waters blue 

 Far out at sea. 

 Above, there gleamed the boundless sky ; 



•Beneath, the boundless ocean sheen; 

 Between them danced the butterfly. 



The spirit-life of this vast scene, 

 Far out at sea. 



The tiny soul that soared away. 



Seeking the clouds on fragile wings, 

 Lured Ijy the brighter, purer ray 

 Whicli hope's ecstatic morning brings — 

 Far out at sea. 

 Away he sped, with shimmering glee, 



Scarce seen, now lost, yet onward borne ! 

 Night comes with wind and rain, and he 

 No more will dance before the morn, 

 Far out at sea. 

 He dies, unhke his mates, I ween, 



T*erhaps not sooner or worse crossed; 

 And he hath felt and known and seen 

 A larger life and hope, though lost 

 Faroutatsea. 



K. H. HoKNK. — Genius. 



Butterflies are creatures of the land and of the day. No aquatic form 

 is known, or one that is aquatic in any stage of its existence. They love 

 the sun and warmth, being essentially tropical animals, every one of the 

 laro-er groups decreasing in representatives in passing fix)m the tropics 

 towards the poles. They rarely undergo their transformations other than 

 above the ground, and mostly in midsummer. They fly by day and 

 o-enerally liy brighest day and in clearest weather. Yet there are some 

 o-roups which love the forest gloom, and a few which, in tropical countries, 

 favor the twilight. There are a few, too, which venture to make their 

 homes in the frigid zones, and on high and bleak mountain summits. 



