DEBIS I. 



example in Canada. The same author, in '• Letters from AUibama," London, 

 1859, page 122, gives an interesting account of the habits of the species, under 

 the name of Hipparchia Andromacha, which I copy here. " It is interesting 

 from its social and gamesome habits. A particular individual will frequent the 

 foot of a particular tree for many successive days, contrary to the roaming 

 habit of butterflies in general. Hence he will sally out on any other passing 

 butterfly, either of his own or of another species, and after performing sundry 

 circumvolutions, retire to his chosen post of observation again. Occasionally I 

 have seen another butterfly of the same species, after having had his amicable 

 tussle, take likewise a stand on a neighboring spot, and after a few minutes' rest, 

 both would simultaneously rush to the conflict, like knights at a tournament, 

 and wheel and roll about in the air as before. Then each would return to his 

 own place with the utmost precision, and presently renew the ' passage of arms,' 

 with the same result, for very many times in succession." I have myself never 

 had an opportunity of observing the habits so well described, nor can I hear of 

 others having done so. But a butterfly restricted to forests in which was no 

 undergrowth, like the pine forests of the South, would of necessity have the habit 

 of resting on trees. The late Mr. James Ridings collected butterflies in Georgia, 

 a few years ago, and informed me on his return that Satyrus PegaJa alighted 

 on the bark of trees in the pine forests, and returned persistently to the same 

 spot, and as he compared the habit with that of Portlandia, probably he had 

 noticed the latter species in the same district. I know of no other of the North 

 American Satyrinae which do this, unless it be the Chionobas of the Gigas group. 

 The species is not a common one in the region in which I live, but every year 

 I see a few individuals flying near the ground about the edge of the wood, or 

 among the trees and shrubs near my house. They are also to be seen in the 

 depth of the forest. On one occasion, in June, I visited an unopened coal seam 

 at least a mile from any clearing, and at five hundred feet elevation above the 

 creek, where the coal was exposed to view, owing to its being between two 

 ledges of rock, a little sulphur-tinctured water trickled upon the base rock, and 

 here were several Portlandia and that rare butterfly, Eudamus Cellns, in a clus- 

 ter, eagerly sucking. On the way down the creek, the wheel of the wagon 

 struck a small, decayed, moss-covered stump at the foot of the hill, and quite 

 a flock of PorUandia, which had been resting on the stump, were flushed. I 

 caught eight, four of them with one sweep of the net, all males fresh from 

 chrysalis. Near the same place, several summers ago, Mr. Ridings took a num- 

 ber of specimens. He told me that this butterfly was infallibly attracted by 

 any excrementitious matter, and he had only to wait near a spot where such 

 was to be found to get all the individuals he wanted. 



