i6o 



his semi-tropical fury unabated, the blossoms dropped off, the flowers 

 drooped and died, even some leaves of the mesqidte turned yellow, 

 and the grass literally dried up. 



The inland radiation of heat caused a strong wand from the coast, 

 every day from lo A. M. till midnight, and collecting ceased by reason 

 of the wind on the prairie and of the dried-up vegetation in the 

 sheltered places. There was no marked change of species during 

 the spring and summer; immediate localities had more to do with 

 producing different things. Down the bay coast below Corpus Christi 

 are low bluffs, twenty or thirty feet high, and in many places they 

 have suffered washouts, causing great arroyas, or gullies, extending 

 often several hundred yards back from the beach. These afforded ab- 

 solute shelter from the strong winds, and were filled with blossoms and 

 flowers in the early half of the season, during which they were excellent 

 collecting grounds. One day in March, in a single one of these gullies, 

 I took species oi Anthocharis, Co/ias, Terias, Melitcra, Phyciodes, Syn- 

 chloe, Junonia, Neonympha, Thecla, Lycmia, Copceodes, Pomphila, 

 Amblyscirtes, Spi/othyrus, Pyrgus, Tha7iaos. Sy stasia and Eudamiis; 

 about twenty species or more. Afterwards in April, and through the 

 season, Papih'o, Pieris, Callidryas, Kricogonia, Daiiais, Agraidis, 

 Eiiptoieta, Eresia, Charis and Pholisora. 



The Nueces River has its mouth within a few miles of Corpus Christi, 

 and by a ride of twenty-five miles in wagon we reached its heavy bot- 

 tom-land, the first real woods I had seen in this part of Texas. These 

 remind one much of Florida scenery. Along its wild bayous, under 

 its moss-hung trees, and through its acres of palmetto, in the early 

 part of July, I had my best collecting. A short creeping plant, bear- 

 ing a small white flower, was the principal attraction for the butterflies. 

 On this I took nearly all the genera that I found down the beach, with 

 the exception of Anthocharis, Neonympha, Spi/othyrus, Systasia and 

 Eudamus, but in addition Nafhalis, Pyra^neis, Libythea and Achlyodes 

 and different species of Synchhe, Thecla, Pamphila and Thanaos. 

 Also among the timber I found Grapta and Apatiira. On the prairie, 

 during the season of little wind, I found nearly all the fore-going 

 genera, with still different species of Melitcea, Apatura and Pholisora, 

 and within the shade of the motts (small groves) that are here and 

 there over the prairies, I found an occasional Neonympha. Along 

 the salt-water inlets of the bay and on the coast-skirting islands, 

 over a kind of flowering salt weed, I caught different species of Pieris, 

 Lyccena and Pamphila, as well as Charis and Agraulis. Among the 

 moths I took some NoctiddcE, Gcometridce and many of the smaller 

 forms by sweeping on the prairie, and by lantern at night when it was 

 not moonlight. The very few Bombycidce that I came across were 

 taken singly with the net, most of them on the prairie. No moths 

 responded very w^ell to the most \agorous sugaring. 



