1300 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGIAND. 



numbers until the middle of July. The female deposits her eggs in the 

 latter half of June (perhaps earlier) and early in July, and the eggs hatch 

 in eight days. The change to chrysalis occurs during July, lasts two or 

 three weeks according to latitude and season, and the butterflies appear 

 again in the middle of July, often while those of the previous brood are 

 still flying. Some chrysalids continue to eclose the buttei-fly throughout 

 this month, but the latest probably remain unchanged until the following 

 spring, and the spring butterflies are the united product of both the broods 

 of the previous year. The numerical inferiority of the second brood lends 

 force to this hypothesis, and Mr. Edwards states that in his experience 

 about one-half of the chrysalids of the first of the three broods of the south 

 and west remain unchanged until the following year. The eggs of the 

 second brood are doubtless laid in the latter part of July and early in 

 August, and the caterpillars from them become fully gi'own between the 

 middle of August and the middle of September, by which time all are in 

 chrysalis. 



Habits, flight and postures. The fondness of this butterfly for 

 flowers has already been stated, and its taste for decaying animal matter as 

 well ; its tastes indeed range from that fondness for nectar which the poets 

 praise as godlike, down to that of the ordure of animals, engaged in ex- 

 tracting the juices from which it may be easily captured. Mr. Couper 

 relates how when living in a "shanty" in the back woods 



■water in which salt pork liad been parboiled was thrown out on the sandy loam 

 opposite the door, and I noticed that hundreds of Papilio turnus frequented this spot 

 during favorable weather, thrusting their tongues into the moistened sand when the 

 fluid absorbed, for which they seemed to have such an extraordinary liking, rendered 

 them semi-intoxicated. I have seen them flying from all quarters direct for the 

 shanty. Many of them, I believe, came from a distance of two miles at least. The 

 spot which these butterflies visited was certainly that on which the pork water was 

 thrown, and the effluvia resulting from this was doubtless the great source of attrac- 

 tion (Can. ent. , v : 19). 



The congregating propensity or corapanionableness of these butterflies 

 has already been noticed. Their tanieness is perhaps a corollary of this. 

 Unless frightened by some attack upon them, they will allow a very near 

 approach with apparent unconcern. Gosse is the only one who speaks of 

 them as at all wild. When a flock feeding at a puddle is disturbed, the 

 butterflies aftei'wai'ds hover about the spot, alighting and arising again, 

 and flying backward and forward and around the spot for some minutes 

 before all have settled again ; each has to be adjusted apparently to its 

 neighbor, and the advent of a new claimant for place may for several times 

 disturb all the rest, and the business of aUghting recommence. 



I cannot forbear quoting from the Transactions of the Vassar Brothers' 

 institute the following remarks by DeGarmo ; — 



The . . . most alert and restless of all our local varieties will remain perfectly quiet, if 

 the approach be made suflJciently gradual. They can even be picked up with the fingers 



