IN THE GENUS BASILARCHIA 35 



fellows. All these butterflies live a considerable 

 time, and indeed the eggs do not mature in the 

 bodies of the females until they have been a fort- 

 night on the wing ; and then they do not lay all 

 their eggs at once, or even within a few days, but 

 prolong the operation over many days or even 

 several weeks. To deposit all her eggs therefore, 

 which is the province of course of the female, she 

 must fly amid all the dangers her conspicuous 

 colors offer for about a month, a considerably 

 longer time than the average of butterflies. Pre- 

 vious to egg-laying at least, much of her time is 

 spent upon the ground in company with her fellows, 

 often in great flocks, engrossed in sucking up 

 moisture from the damp earth, from decaying fruits, 

 or the droppings of beasts ; and so must become 

 a conspicuous and easy prey to her enemies. 



What then is to become of this saving remnant 

 of the tribe ? How escape from the dangers 

 which it seems to invite ? For the individual 

 there would seem to be nothing but chance ; but 

 the number of eggs laid under the most favorable 

 circumstances or chances is very considerable ; and 

 if only a pair of these finally reaches maturity and 

 are able to fulfill their functions, the number of 

 individuals of the species is maintained. It would 



