RHOPALOCERA AT WIESBADEN. 91 



after hybernation in the spring. V. polychloros is single-brooded, and was 

 abundant both before and after hybernatioo. I took the larva from wych 

 elm, and saw the first freshly-emerged imago on June 28th. They seemed 

 all to have retired to their winter quarters before the beginning of August. 

 V. urticcB did not appear nearly so commonly as the last insect. The 

 larvse were fairly abundant in August. V. io was common at the begin- 

 ning of August, and the larvae at the end of June. Of V. atalaata I 

 saw one or two specimens during the last half of September in 1887, but 

 did not observe any up to the end of August, 1888. V. antiopa was seen 

 abundantly in the spring after hybernation, and continued to fly till the 

 middle of June. The borders of all these were, without exception, white, 

 like the so-called British antiopa. I saw a few at sallow Idoom, and also 

 at the pear blossoms. The first freshly-emerged butterfly I took was on 

 August 2nd, and they continued on the wing for about three weeks, and 

 then disappeared, retiring presumably to their winter quarters. They were 

 now by no means as commonly seen as in the spring. I never observed 

 a specimen settle on a flower, they seeming to prefer puddles in the 

 roads or putrid matter to feed on. The borders of all the fresh specimens 

 was a rich buff colour. I noticed that the size of the blue marginal spots 

 varied considerably on different specimens. At Wiesbaden the larvae feed 

 usually on sallow. Mine eat birch or willow indiscriminately in confine- 

 ment. In the pupae I met with,, the metallic spots usual to the genus 

 were scarcely perceptible. F. cardui was common on the tracks about the 

 cultivated ground during June, and was abundant in the same situations 

 through August. 



Liinenitis sihijUa was generally distributed, but not very common in the 

 woods during July and first half of August. I netted a few specimens at 

 bramble blossom. 



Apatura iris I saw settling in the muddy puddles on roads in the woods 

 on July 9th, also some flying high over the oak trees. Owing to the rest 

 of the month being for the most part very cold and wet, I only once 

 observed iris again, and then far out of reach. I beat a few young larvae 

 of this and the next species from sallow late in October, and hope to rear 

 them successfully when the spring comes. Early in November these larvae 

 spin a carpet of silk on a twig of sallow, and attach themselves firmly to it, 

 after which it is impossible to dislodge them by beating. A. ilia was more 

 abundant than the last. The males of this beautiful species were to be 

 seen sunning themselves on the muddy roads^early in July. 



Melanargia galatea swarmed from the end of June till the beginning 

 of August in all the meadows. 



Satyrus semele was rare. I saw one or two specimens by an unworked 

 limestone quarry. 



Pararge egeria was also scarce. I noticed a few specimens about the 

 middle of May and two more in July. P. megcEra I did not see anything 

 of till the end of July, when it began to appear abundantly on all the stony 

 tracks about the corn fields. 



Erehia medusa appeared very locally on marshy spots in the wood- 

 meadows on May 3Uth, and continued a short time on the wing. E. 

 CBthiops was abundant, but also local during the first three weeks of August. 

 It seemed to prefer drier situations than E. medusa. The colours and 

 markings of the underside of E. athiops presented a great deal of variety. 



Epitiephele ianira swarmed everywhere in June, July and August. 



