THE TRIBE OF THE SOVEREIGNS 203 



This butterfly is a northern form ranging to a large ex- 

 tent north of the regions occupied by the Viceroy. Its 

 Hfe-history is very similar to that of the latter insect. The 

 caterpillars have the same curious habits and bear a close 

 general resemblance to one another. The Banded Purple 

 butterflies appear in June and lay their eggs in July upon 

 the tips of the leaves of birches, especially the black birch. 

 Almost all of these eggs are laid within two or three feet of 

 the ground. They are of grayish green color. The cater- 

 pillars are greenish- or oHve-brown. 



About a week after the egg is laid it hatches into a small 

 caterpillar that feeds upon the sides of the leaf and rests 

 upon the midrib just as the Viceroy caterpillar does. It 

 continues to feed through July and the early part of 

 August, moulting once or twice before it begins to form 

 the winter case. It usually goes into this during the 

 latter part of August, when it is in the second or third 

 caterpillar stage. From then on it remains quietly in its 

 winter home, being covered by the deep snows during 

 several months, and coming out about the middle of the 

 following May, when the spring warmth starts the buds 

 of its food plant. It then feeds for two or three weeks 

 before it changes to a chrysalis to emerge in June as a 

 butterfly. There seems to be normally but one brood 

 each year although under exceptional conditions some of 

 the eggs laid in July mature into butterflies the same 

 season. But it is probable that these butterflies either do 

 not lay eggs and perish as the cold comes on, or that if 

 they do lay eggs the caterpillars that hatch from them do 

 not get large enough to construct their winter cases. Con- 

 sequently, it is doubtful if we can consider the insect 

 really two-brooded even in part. 



