280 BUTTERFLIES 



larval nest as a basis, and some time later, before cold 

 weather surely, it changes to a chrysalis that winters over. 



This is the story of the life of the butterfly in the more 

 northern parts of its range. Even in New Hampshire 

 there seems to be at least a partial second brood, and 

 farther south there are probably two regular broods with 

 the possibility that a small percentage of the first set of 

 chrysalids remains unchanged until spring. 



The Roadside Skipper 



Amhlyscirtes vialis 



This little butterfly is found apparently in most parts 

 of the United States, as it has been collected in New Eng- 

 land, California, Texas, and many intermediate points. 

 Over the northern part of its range there is but one brood 

 a year. In New Hampshire the butterflies appear in 

 May and early June and lay eggs upon the blades of vari- 

 ous grasses. These hatch about ten days later into slen- 

 der, silk-spinning cateipillars, each of which makes a nest 

 for itself by sewing together the margin of one or more 

 grass blades. When the larvae get larger, they make 

 larger and denser nests with heavy linings of silken web. 

 After the earlier moults, the thin skin is covered with very 

 fine snow-white hairs, between which there is developed a 

 curious whitish exudation, so that the caterpillars have a 

 flocculent appearance. When full grown, they change 

 to delicate green chrysalids which apparently in the North 

 remain until the following spring before disclosing the 

 butterflies. In more southern regions there are two broods 

 each summer. 



