1272 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



(Mundt) and elsewhere (Wortliington), appeared in 188(i in numbers in 

 the streets of Cliicago (Hancock), occurs in many localities in Ohio, such 

 as Cleveland, "not uncommon" (Kirtland), "common where papaw 

 bushes are" (Kirkpatrick), Columbus, "still more abundant" than at 

 Cleveland (Kirtland), where it is rather common" (Ison), Eockport, 

 Poland and Hudson (Kirtland) and eastern Ohio (Foster) ; and has even 

 been found in southern Michigan (Mus. Mich. Univ., Andrews) and west- 

 ern New York (Bruce) ; and in a few instances in Ontario, such as Komoka 

 and Point Pel ee (Saunders), North Ridge (Lowe) and Ridge way (Mof- 

 fatt). In Maryland (Uhler) it is "rare" and about Philadelphia (Blake) 

 it is not common. 



Finally specimens have been taken on Staten Island (Davis) and the 

 western end of Long Island (Graef, Hulst) which is its neai'est approach 

 to New England. 



Its occasional appearance in the north in places Avhich it does not appear 

 regularly to inhabit, and in some instances, as we shall see, far from its 

 common food plant, would seem to indicate that it occasionally attempts 

 to extend its domain bv migration in larger or smaller numbers. One in- 

 stance of such a migration has been observed, and the relation of Mr. 

 Hancock is so explicit that it may be given in his own words : — 



During the fore part of .Tune, 1886, unusual numbers of the ajax butterfly migrated 

 througli this city. Since the only feeding places accessible to them in Chicago at this 

 point are scattered lots wliere a few bunches of clover or dandelion msike up the prin- 

 cipal flowering plants, the butterflies made few if any stops at these, but flew along the 

 streets near the ground at a rapid rate northward, and it was with considerable diffi- 

 culty that a single specimen was secured. On June 12th a visit was made at AVood 

 Lawn, 111., a few miles south of Chicago, where the butterflies were found (juite as 

 plentiful, and showed the same uneasiness in their flight. In a cleared grassy spot in 

 the woods near at hand, white clover had spread its blossoms in In-oad patches, where 

 occasionally a butterfly would raalie a hasty stop, which, however, was only for a mo 

 ment, when its form would again be seen disappearing through tlie woods. (Araer. 

 nat.. XX : 070.) 



Abundance and oviposition. The extreme abundance of this species 

 is well attested by Edwards, when he says: "at certain seasons it is 

 almost impossible to find a young plant [of papaw] that is free from . . . 

 eggs, and it is easy to collect scores of them." 



"The female of ajax may frequently be seen coursing tlirough tlie papaw trees whicli 

 . . . cover tlie lower hillsides, or liovering about the young plants that spring up iu 

 the cultivated fields, searching for leaves on wliich to deposit her eggs. After touch- 

 ing or running over and rejecting several, 'she linds one suitable to her purpose. 

 Thereupon, balancing by the rapid fluttering of her wings, she stands for an instant 

 witli legs stretclied at full length, perpendicular to the body, and curving down the 

 abdomen until it touches the surface, deposits a single egg; then flies away, presently 

 to alight on a second leaf with like intent. Sometimes the egg is upon the stem and 

 occasionally on the under side of the leaf, but almost always it is on the upper side, 

 and but one egg will usually be found on the same leaf. Tlie process of laying con- 

 tinues for several successive days." (Edwards.) 



