1392 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW EXGEANI). 



this \Nay. . . . Before transforming to a chrysalis the hvrva binds the 

 leaf a little closer around itself and remains (jniescent." "Tiie full grown 

 larva," writes Dr. Wittfeld, ''in defending itself will spit out a watery 

 greenish substance, which it throws about as it jerks its head to one side 

 and the other." 



Seasons and habits. Excepting the scanty memoranda of Abbot, nearly 

 all tiie information we have upon the seasons of this insect comes from Dr. 

 Chapman's notes made in northern Florida ; from these it appears that it 

 is doable brooded and probably passes the winter in the imago state, for 

 fresh specimens are found at the very close of the season, and a single 

 specimen was seen by him as early as the end of March. Moreover, 

 Palmer took old specimens the first week in March at Okeechobee, 

 but fresh and jjerfect females at Indian River at the end of March. The 

 eggs are probably laid in April and the first In-ood of fresh bnttei'flies, after 

 45 days spent in the chrysalis (Abbot) appear at the beginning of the last 

 week in July, become numerous after the middle of August, few and 

 tattered before the middle of September. The buttertlies of the second brood, 

 certainly without spending so long a season in chrysalis, make their advent by 

 the middle of September, become numerous toward the end of the month, 

 continue so until the middle of October, and are then seen in scanty num- 

 bers until the middle of November, many of them fresh. To judge from 

 Palmer's notes and captures there must be three broods in southern Florida, 

 in March, (June) and August. In tlie Keys it flies all winter (May- 

 nard). 



Mr. Abbot says that sometimes in Georgia this species is "found 

 frequently in oak woods and fields, near swamps." It seems to prefer the 

 blazing rays of noonday sun. ]Maynard s]ieaks of the butterflies as 

 swiftly flying and restless, but they would a[)pear to be less powerfid than 

 Epargyreus, since thej^ were seen by Mr. Lowell Elliot to be vigorously 

 attacked and driven away from Sah ia flowers by that impetuous creature ; 

 and Comstock writes of them : "Their flight is not reuiarkably quick, and I 

 have taken them in mj^ hand while engaged in feeding on a plant." 



Desiderata. The exact distribution of this insect, which has undoubt- 

 edly been cunfounded with others ever since the days of Linne, needs the 

 most careful study ; it is unquestionably more widely spread than shown 

 on our map. The condition in which this insect passes tiie winter is unde- 

 termined, the number of broods in different j)arts of the country not care- 

 fully made out ; descriptions of the flight and postures of the l)utterfly and 

 observations on the duration of the chrysalis are also desirable, as well as 

 fuller account of the habits of tlie caterpillar. 



