1004 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



in many places, so that our knowledge of its southern limit is not very 

 definite. It is, however, "usually common" in Maryland (Uhler) and is 

 even painted by Abbot with the memorandum, "met with by Mr. Elliott on 

 his tour to the moimtains," *'. e., the AUcghanies of Georgia ; although it 

 occurs in California, and is stated by Saunders to be found in Canada from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific, it has not been traced across the continent, 

 but only indicated at one or two points west of the Mississippi, such as 

 Oxley Eanche, between Ft. Macleod and Calgary (Geddes), and Iowa 

 (Chic. Mus.) ; the westernmost points east of this in which it has been 

 obtained are Racine "common" (Hoy) and Beloit, Wise. (Chamberlin) ; 

 it is, however, abundant enough in northern Illinois (Worthington), 

 Michigan (Mich. Univ. Mus., Harrington), and at Sault St. Marie (Be- 

 thune), and evidently must be connected with California through more 

 northern latitudes. Eastward it occurs in Nova Scotia (Brit. Mus., 

 Jones) and Cape Breton (Thaxter) and in the north has been taken at 

 Cacouna (Saunders), Quebec (Bowles), Montreal "generally common" 

 (Caulfield), River Rouge District (D'Urban), and Ottawa (Billings, 

 Fletcher), and has even been taken at Moose Factory, James Bay 

 (Weir) . Of late years what has been credited to this species has been 

 reported as taken in Norway. 



It is found throughout New England almost as abundantly in the White 

 Mountain district as elsewhei'e, and is one of our commonest species. 



Haunts. It is found most commonly in dry, sandy or gravelly, barren 

 spots favorable to the growth of sorrel, and is particularly common by 

 the side of paths in dry pastures or upland highwayfi. It constantly 

 invades the town, and, afire itself, seems to delight in finding the hottest 

 places for its gambols. Near Quebec Mr. Bowles finds it "in rocky places 

 where there are mossy spots." 



Oviposition. When laying her eggs the female flies to a plant of 

 sorrel, I'cmains nearly or quite still, often for two minutes or more, and 

 then walks down the plant, moving this side and that, in search for a 

 suitable spot, until finally, turning entirely around and curving the body 

 downward she deposits a single egg ; this occupies about three seconds 

 and then she crawls back and at once takes flight. The eggs are usually 

 laid near the base of the leaf on the rounded surface, but sometimes on 

 the leaf itself indifferently above or below and occasionally on the stem ; 

 many eggs may be laid upon a single plant, but I have never found more 

 than one on a leaf in free nature. Five females confined in June over 

 sorrel laid 120 eggs, of which 51 were laid upon the upper surface, 45 on 

 the mider surface, 8 on the edge of the leaves and 16 on the stems. 

 They hatch in from six and a half to ten days, according to the season. 



Pood plants and habits of caterpillar. The caterpillar appears to 

 feed only on tlie common sorrel (Rumex acetosella Linn.) altliough 



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