1170 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



engaged in her work of oviposition, the male still present as a spectator (?). On the 

 morning of the 10th the chrysalis, now fully developed, was removed and placed in a 

 glass jar, awaiting further developments. On the morning of tlie 27th, seventeen 

 days after, the adult Pteromalus were observed issuing from the chrysalis in great 

 numbers. After all had emerged, they were counted and found to number 68 males 

 and 4 females. The same parasite had Ijeen reared from a similar chrysalis on August 

 13, but tlic individuals were not counted. (Insect life, i : 22.5.) 



Desiderata. It is hardly creditable to us that a butterfly so extremely 

 common as this at least has been, and indeed still is in certain localities, should 

 be so imperfectly known. The egg has never been properly described, nor the 

 earlier stages of the caterpillar. The duration of each of the earlier stages 

 in the diflTerent broods has never been stated. There is not even any good de- 

 scription extant of the mature caterpillar or of the chrysalis drawn from the 

 living specimens, that is, one suflSciently complete for comparative purposes. 

 The seasons of the butterfly and the various broods are very imperfectly 

 known, and there is a perplexing problem to solve in the difi^erence between 

 this butterfly and others in the excessive rarity of the earliest spring brood. 

 Perhaps the more frequent appearance of the spring type late in the 

 autumn is correlated with this scarcity. At any rate this is an important 

 problem to be solved. The flight and postures of the butterfly have never 

 been described, nor are all the parasites definitely known. The relation 

 of this butterfly to Pieris rapae needs the same careful study that we shall 

 point out as requisite in following out the history of Pieris oleracea. 

 Its relation to the western types of Pontia still require investigation. Its 

 parasites have been only partially determined. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONfi.— PONTIA FROTODICE. 



General. Imago. 



PI. 26, fig. 4. Distribution in North America. PI. 7, tig. 1. P. p. protodice S , both surfaces. 

 89 : 1-2. Pteromalus puparum, a parasite. 2. P. p. protodice, 9 , both surfaces. 



Egg. 16:1. Female, upper .surface. 

 PI. 65, fig. 26. Plain. 2. Male, upper surface. 



Caterpillar. 35:17,18. Male abdominal appendages. 



PI. 76, fig. 7. Full grown. 40:6. Neuratiou. 



79:49. Head, fifth stage. 56:5. Side view, with head and appen- 



C'hrysalis. dagea enlarged, and details of the structure 



PI. 84, fig. 66. Dorsal view. of the legs. 

 67. Side view. 



