384 THE BUTTERFLIES OF XE\Y EXGLANI). 



labelled " Arctic America, Ross" maybe seen in the British Museum, 

 probably collected in the vicinity of Great Slave Lake. The localities 

 already specified indicate all that is known of its western extension, except- 

 ino- that Mr. Edwards tound one specimen in a collection from Lake La- 

 bache, British Columbia, Captain Geddes records it from Kicking Horse 

 Lake in the Rocky ISIountains, Lord from Vancouver's Island (under the 

 name of polychloros), and Fletcher has received specimens from Cariboo, 

 British Columbia, collected by Cowley. Eastward it reaches to Godbout 

 River, Gaspe and Nova Scotia, and will probably be found in Newfound- 

 land, though Gosse did not find it there. 



It occurs throughout New England, although very rare in the southern- 

 most portions ; yet it has been taken in Newport, R. I. (Higginson) and 

 Nantucket (Scudder), and was one single year reported very common in 

 Springfield, Mass., though very rare since (Emery). It is also reported 

 from Farmington and New Haven, Conn. It has been taken occasionally 

 in several localities about Boston, while in the White Mountain district 

 and its vicinity it is abundant, as it doubtless is through all that portion of 

 New Eno-land lying north of the isotherm of 40° for the spring months. 



Periodicity. This is another of the butterflies of which we see vastly 

 more in one year than in another. Harris noticed this as long ago as 

 1827, as appears fi-om his note books, but it is never very common in the 

 southern half of New England, where most of our entomologists live, and 

 no years can be specified. Bowles says (Can. ent., xii : 13(3) '• they were 

 so abundant one summer that I even saw them drinking spruce beer from 

 the old apple-woman's kegs in the Upper Town Market, Quebec, while 

 next season the only specimen I found was a poor, dilapidated individual 

 which I took snugly tucked away under the coping of a fence, where it had 

 evidently passed the winter." 



Haunts. Like the Polygonias "it seems to have a predeliction for 

 ripe or decaying fruit, and often visits our cider mills when apples are col- 

 lected in large numbers " (Kirtland). At other times it may be seen in 

 comi)any with the Polygonias and resembles them in its flight ; it aflects 

 high, open woodland and hilly roadsides ; it is also wont to pitch on the 

 trunk of a tree, with its head downward and its wings tightly slmt back 

 to back ; in such a position it is with difliculty discovered, even by one 

 who has seen it alight, so closely do the gray tints oi' the under surface 

 correspond to the color of the bark upon which it rests. 



Food plant of caterpillar. The only specimen of larva known was 

 full fed and crawling wlien captured, so that the food plant is not certainly 

 known. But Mr. Caulfield informs me that Mr. P. Knetzing says it is 

 the white birch (Betula alba var. populifolia) . It has commonly been 

 8up])oscd that it was willow, and poplar has also been suggested. It 

 has been taken at willow blossoms. 



