1624 THE BUTTKKFLIES OF i\E\\- ENGLAND. 



a second brood it is impossible to say without further data ; but a rorre- 

 spondoiit mentions the occurvcncc of the species in tlie vicinity of Boston 

 "early in August," and Mr. Allen captured a male in Iowa on the 12th of 

 that month, showing either that occasional early chrysalids give forth their 

 inmates the same year, or, what is far more probable — for the caterpillars are 

 extremely lazy — some individuals are occasionally greatly belated. To 

 return to our history : — The female begins to lay eggs early in .June, being 

 busiest al)out the middle of the month, and continues the operation until 

 it disappears ; the egg is hatched in about eleven to thirteen days ; the 

 caterpillar may be found througliout July and August, for it is not until 

 September that it is full grown and passes into the chrj'salis ; some, in- 

 deed, are still feeding at the very end of September and then jiass into 

 hiiiernation without changing to chrysalis. 



Habits of the butterfly. The butterflies may be found almost every- 

 where in the open country, apparently preferring meadows, and are very 

 fond of the juices of flowers, Asclepias tnberosa having a great attraction 

 for them. Mr. Allen says "this hesperian occurred in groves" in Iowa. 



It is a brisk, active flyer, ofi^ at a bound with wave-like starts and then 

 alighting as abruptly under your eye, as who should say "Here I am, 

 what's up now ?" It rarely rises to more than a couple of feet above the 

 ground, but goes swaying vigorously up the road as you advance ujion it. 



When at complete rest, the body is raised high on the legs, the anterior 

 extremity elevated at an angle of from 30° to 40° ; all the wings are pressed 

 back to back, the costal margin of the hind wings reaching to the middle 

 of the upper median interspace, while the antennae are extended laterally in 

 a common line, the crooks directed backward and a little outward ; when dis- 

 turbed in this attitude, the butterfly moves one or both antennae backward 

 and forward enquiringly, one rpilte independently of the other, through an 

 arc of from 30° to 40°. When at ordinary rest, the wings are all held 

 alike, a little divergent from the perpendicular, and the antennae, diverging 

 at an angle of about 110°, are slightly deflected from the plane of the body. 

 When walking, the antennae, seen from above, are perfectly straight and 

 diverge at an angle of about 135° ; seen from the side, they are nearly on 

 a plane with the body, Init are a little curved, the convexity downward. 



Desiderata. It would be well to direct enquiry toward the apparition 

 of the dark form of the female of this species, to determine whether it is 

 more abundant in the south than in the north and whether it usually 

 appears later than the normal form of the female. Butterflies occurring in 

 August should be examined to see whether thev are old and belated or 

 fresh and premature individuals. Has this any connection with the stage 

 at which the winter is passed, and what is the rule with regard to this 

 point? The periods in the southern part of its range may help on this 

 point. Its northwestern distribution needs more careful study. No para- 

 sites are known. 



