248 BUTTERFLIES 



only on flowers, instead of sunning itself on leaves. It is 

 single-brooded, hibernating either in the egg state or in 

 that of the young larvae. The food plants are varied, 

 there being good evidence that the caterpillar feeds upon 

 all of these: apple, plum, shadbush, blueberry, holly, 

 chestnut, willow, thorn, and several kinds of oaks. Mr. 

 W. F. Fiske found a chrysalis of this species in the deserted 

 nest of a tent caterpillar in New Hampshire in early June, 

 the butterfly emerging later in the month. 



The Acadian Hair-streak 



Thecla acadica 



This is one of the numerous butterflies that offers some 

 young student an opportunity to make real contributions 

 to science. It is a beautiful little creature, expanding 

 scarcely an inch across its outstretched wings, found from 

 New England west to Montana along a rather restricted 

 area, which coincides pretty closely with the southern part 

 of the Transition Zone. There is a form on the Pacific 

 Coast which is commonly considered to be this same 

 species. 



These butterflies appear during July and August. They 

 visit various flowers but are especially likely to be found 

 near willow thickets along the borders of brooks and 

 swamps. It is supposed that the eggs are laid upon the 

 willows and that they remain unhatched until the following 

 spring. Then they develop into little caterpillars that 

 feed upon the willow leaves and mature in time to form 

 chrysalids early in June. These chrysalids in turn dis- 

 close the butterfly early in July. So far as I know the eggs 



