. PSYCHE. 



ORGAN OF THE CAMBRIDGE ENTOMOLOGICAL CLUB. 

 EDITED BY B. PICKMAN MANN. 



Vol. I.] Cambridge, Mass., August,' 1874. [No. 4. 



Early Spring Butterflies at the White Mountains. 



During four sunny clays (June 2-5) spent in the Glen this 

 spring, in a search for butterflies, the following species were 

 noticed. The wild cherries were just blossoming. 



Basilarchia Disippe. Two or three larvae were seen on 

 poplar, of just the same size as others of the next species near 

 them. 



Basilarchia ArthemiS. The caterpillars were found not un- 

 common upon the black birch ; one upon poplar, on the same 

 twig with Disippe. All had left their hibernacula, which pre- 

 cisely resemble those of the preceding species, and had moulted 

 at least once ; the first moult almost invariably takes place on 

 their emerging from winter quarters, as proved by the pellicle 

 left upon the tip of the leaf forming the hibernaculum. As 

 search for the caterpillar was the principal object of my visit, I 

 must have examined nearly five thousand plants of black birch ; 

 the result proves that the eggs are laid almost exclusively upon 

 horizontally extended branches of small plants not more than 

 two or three feet high, skirting the road-side, so that the cater- 

 pillars must almost invariably be buried in snow the winter 

 through. The caterpillars are generally lighter colored than 

 those of the preceding species, but resemble them wonderfully. 

 The first caterpillar changed to chrysalis the night of June 7th, 

 and emerged the morning of the 18th. 



Polygonia Faunus. The butterfly was very abundant, the 

 males far exceeding the females in number; the latter were 

 apparently not yet prepared to deposit their eggs. 



Polygonia gracilis. This butterfly was rather common, and 

 what is strange, many more females than males were taken ; 

 they could not be induced to lay eggs under muslin during my 



