LYCAENIXAK: KVKUKS CO.MV MAS. '.tl7 



.Iiiiu' l' 1 ( .\.ljl)<jt) . GossL' iiK'iitiuiis tlio insect on August '2i> in Alnliania, 

 antl I liiivc seen rubbed speeiniens from Georgia taken the last of October 

 (Oeuiler). Kdwanls says that in West Virjjinia "there must be several 

 sueeessive broods, as fresli individuals are seen every month from April to 

 September." The date (Marcii 20, 1825) given by Harris for tiie time of 

 this insect in ^lassaciuisetts is evidently an error. 



Behavior of the butterfly. Tlic fiiglit of the butterfly is fjuick and 

 nervous and it isilsclt so small and (k'iicatc that one easily looses sight of 

 it as it doubles in and out among the herbage, over the tops of which — 

 unless very low — it is rarely seen. Its flights are of short duration and 

 it alights fre(|uently after some seconds of uncertain quivering on the heads 

 or terminal leaves of [)lants and low shrubs and vines, especially of Leg- 

 uniinosae. Dr. Minot observed it when alighted, holding its wings per- 

 pendicularlv or parted at an angle of about 15°, lub the hind wings u]) and 

 down while the fore wings were motionless. 



Variation and dimorphism. It is not siu-prising that a polygoneutic 

 insect with so wide a distribution slioidd be found very variable, but as 

 vet no differences have been pointed out in successive broods as has been- 

 done with its European congener. In Western examples the whole upper 

 surface of the wings has a hoary aspect, and the dark spots of the under 

 surface arc remarkably faint. Southern examples differ in the lesser 

 depth of the purplish tint of the upper surface of the wings in the male, 

 the narrower dark bordering of the same, and in the purer and more uni- 

 form satin-gray of the under surface of the wings in both sexes. The 

 great disparitv in the size of different individuals to which Mr. Edwards 

 has called attention is marked, because there seems to be no regular gra- 

 dation between the two, but two distinct sets in size. Mr. Edwards thinks 

 these differences appear wherever comyntas occurs, but the only marked 

 cases I iiave noted came from Long Island and Cape Cod, and I have 

 thouirht them confined to the autumn brood. ]\Ir. Edwards calls atten- 

 tion to the fact that in AVest Virginia the female is dimorphic, "most of 

 this sex here being black, the others blue with broad black margins." 

 The same is the case, rarely, in Long Island, but I have not seen it else- 

 where. 



Desiderata. It can hardly be doubted that this variable insect is one 

 of those whose successive generations present a difF(>rent aspect, as is the 

 case with its European congener : observations shoidd be directed toward 

 this point ; the dimorphism of the female indicated by Edwards should be 

 looked into and its range in time and space studied ; so, too, the meaning 

 and nature of the great disparity in size often found should be enquired 

 into, the duration of the different stages of each generation investigated, 

 and the condition in which it passes the winter determined. We have but 

 imperfect knowledge of the food of the larva, as may be judged by eompar- 



