NYMPHALID^. 295 



color of tlie wings and the silvery spots on the under side, but 

 is a weak little creature, its flight being slow and feeble. It is 

 usually very common in its season and may be seen clustered 

 on the flowers to Avhich it is partial, or flying lazily just over 

 the grass tops of the damp meadow. On a small patch of mead- 

 owy land they fly back and forth, not often venturing far from it 

 onto the high land. 



The species is double-brooded, and inhabits the northern part 

 of our country and Canada. It is a pretty little insect, as will be 

 seen by reference to the transfer. The specimens for tliis work 

 were taken in and about Wellesley, Mass., where it is usually 

 very abundant. 



Another species much resembling A. myvina in size and gen- 

 eral markings, l)ut differing from it in not having the silvery 

 spots beneath, is Argynnh hellona. This little butterfly is also 

 very abundant and an inhabitant of the same character of coun- 

 try as the preceding species, where it may be taken at the same 

 time of year. 



Curiously enough, however, the two species do not mingle to 

 any great extent and they will seldom ])e found equally numer- 

 ous in the same meadow. This is often quite noticeable when 

 two small patches of low wet land are divided by a ridge of 

 high ground ; one species may occupy one patch and the other the 

 next, eacli keeping pretty well to itself. This is also a slow and 

 weak flying insect, keeping close to the grass tops while on tlie 

 wing and seldom venturing far from the low meadows. It is 

 double-brooded like the preceding, and is found over the north- 

 ern half of the United States east of the Rocky mountains. It 

 also occurs in Canada. 



Ar'gynnis viontinus is a rare little insect found on the l^arren 

 tops of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. 



It much resembles A. myrina^ except that it is darker and more 

 reddish. The under side of the under wings is not adorned with 

 the brilliant silvery markings of A. myrina, l)ut with irregular white 

 markings on a reddish brown ground. 



I have never been so fortunate as to see tins l)utterfly alive, and 

 although I visited Mount Washington and the other peaks near in 

 the hopes of finding it, I was unsuccessful. 



Tliis butterfly is supposed to have been stranded on the high 

 peaks of the White Mountains at the end of the glacial period in 



