1630 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



But tlio same phenomenon appears in tlie tropics, where there are no 

 such extreme excesses of temperature ; tlius Semper tells us that the l)roods 

 of Manila butterflies appearing between December and March are light col- 

 ored and those from June to iSeptember are dark colored. Several vears ago 

 do Niceville of Calcutta sent for exhibition to the Entomological society of 

 London several series of Indian butterflies, wliich had been universally re- 

 garded as distinct species, I)ut which closely resembled one another, ex- 

 cepting that the conspicuous ocellated spots of the imder surface of the 

 wings of certain kinds known only in the rainy season were replaced in 

 other kinds which fly only in the dry season by more uniform, paler, and 

 leaf-like markings, in which the ocelli are obsolete. He regarded these 

 as probable instances of seasonal dimorphism, — a view which was vigo- 

 rously combated by some of the members present at the exhibition. But 

 he has since jjroved his right to the belief in sevei'al eases, having raised 

 one series of forms from eggs of the other ; de Niceville believes that 

 the obliteration of the ocelli is "an advantage to the insects during the 

 cold and hot seasons, as at those times the vegetation is much more scanty 

 and dried up, the insects live chiefly among the grass, and would conse- 

 quently be easily seen were they not inconspicuously colored and marked ; 

 while in the rains, the vegetation being then very dense, they can hide 

 themselves, and their conspicuous livery is no bar to their safety." The 

 species in which the seasonal dimorphism was proved were all Satyriuae, 

 but de Niceville adds that he could indicate "many dozens of Indian spe- 

 cies" in wliich he believes seasonal dimorphism occurs, "including nearly 

 every family into which butterflies have been divided," but he "might 

 again be accused of 'guessing.' " These facts show that we have still a 

 great deal to learn about seasonal dimorphism before we can speak con- 

 fidently of its cause. 



HYLEPHILA PHYLAEUS.— The fiery skipper. 



[The IjorJeieJ skipper (Ilaworth) ; the great headed skipper (Steplieus).] 



ifesjieria j)/i!//oe!(s Drury, III. uat. hist., i: Isoteinon phylaeus Hew., Cat. coll. diiu-ii. 



2.5-26, pi. 13, fli,'S. 4-5 (1770);— God., Eucycl. Lep., 227 (1879). 



nieth., ix: 723, 767-7t)S (1811));— Boisd.-LeC, Papilio phareHsPauz^Dnn. A.hhM.,b9-(}0, 



L6p. Aiii^r. sept., pi. 78 (1883) ;— Burm., Descr. pi. l.'J, figs. 4-5 (1785). 



phys. Rf p. Arg., v : 248-249 (1878). Papifio colon Fahr., syst. ent., 531 (1775) ;— 



iliilephila phylaeiis Billb., Enum. ius., 81 Abb., Draw. in.s. Ga. Brit. Mus., vi: 92, figs. 



(1820). 135-137(0.1.1800). 



Pamphila phyloetis We.stw.-Hew., Geu. iJes/iWia co^on Fabr., Entom. syst., iii : 327 



diurn. Lep., ii : .522 (1852) ;— Butl., Cat. Fabr. (1793). 



Lep., 276-277 (18G9);—Cbapm., Can. ent., xi : Ilesperiavitellins Fahr., Entom. syst., iii: 



190 (1879) ;— Guiidl., Eut. Cub., i : 1,50-151 (1881) ; 327 (1793). 



—French, Butt. east. U. S., 313-314 (1886). Papilio vUellivs Haw., Trans, ent. soc. 



£?(J/i?/m!«S7)/i!/teeMsScudd.,Syst.rev.Amer. Lond., i: 334 (1812). 



butt., 56 (1872). Phemiades angias Hubu., Zutr. exot. 



