744 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



in Georgia, Abbot records an imago May 11, from a larva which entered 

 the chrysalis April 25. Mr. Edwards thinks there are at least four suc- 

 cessive broods in West Virginia. His statements show that this may be, 

 but not that it is the case. 



The following account of its annual history, as seen by an independent 

 observer in southern Ontario, may be of interest here : — 



They make their appearance here about the latter part of May, according as the 

 season favors ; the first ones are restless and energetic, like males looking for mates ; 

 not in the least broken or damaged ; not so rich and bright in color as fall specimens, 

 but fairly good withal. In a week or so they become more plentiful and begin to 

 mate, and for a time are scarcely seen but in pairs. Shortly after eggs may be found 

 on the flower clusters of the milk weed, which is not yet in bloom. They never seem 

 to entirely disappear till fall, fresh hatched specimens mingling with the old battered 

 ones of the early season. Their conduct in spring is quite in harmony with that of 

 species which hatch from the chrysalis here. If they hil^ernated in this locality, I 

 should expect them to put in an appearance a good deal earlier than they do. (Moffat, 

 Can. ent., xx : 137.) 



Habits, flight, etc. This insect, as remarked by Dr. Behr, has strong 

 powers of flight ; Mr. Bethune states that when crossing Georgian Bay, in 

 Canada, he observed one of these butterflies fifteen or twenty miles from 

 land, and Doubleday says he has frequently seen it "cross the Ohio and 

 Mississippi, when these streams are more than a mile in breadth." It is 

 also stated (Can. ent., xii : 137) that it has been captured "hundreds of 

 miles from land," on the Atlantic, and we have already shown that this is 

 but a faint display of its powers. It flies with a slow and sailing motion, 

 usually not far above the ground, hovering fondly over the Asclepias blos- 

 soms as if it had not lost its juvenile tastes, and, if a female intent on laying 

 an egg, fluttering indecisively around the top of this plant, and invariably 

 settling upon the upper leaves. One may sometimes be observed flying 

 leisurely about one sunny spot which has some attraction for it ; it flutters 

 its wings once or twice, and then holding them rigidly at an angle of about 

 120° apart, floats on the air, swaying a bit to one side or the other, flaps its 

 wings again, and then sails once more with a slightly descending course. If 

 alarmed, it will fly away with considerable swiftness, in a nearly straight 

 course. When in company, the butterflies are often seen at great heights, 

 sporting together. Mr. Saunders speaks of them as "gyrating in a 

 wild manner, at all heights, some so far up that they appeared but as 

 moving specks in the sky, others floating lower, over the tops of the trees, 

 in an apparently aimless manner" (Can. ent., iii : 156). 



On the sea shore they have a fondness for following the course of the beach 

 or bluflf, as if enjoying the sea view. I have followed one for nearly a 

 mile along the Nantucket bluffs, when it would not vary its course a hun- 

 dred feet to one side or the other. It is astir until a late hour of the day. 



