Species of the Genus Limenitis. 453 



America (" Butterflies of the Eastern United States and 

 Canada," Cambridge, Mass., 1889, p. 718). It is, indeed, 

 one of the most striking in the world. Before describing 

 the evolution of its pattern from that of the ancestral L. 

 arthemis it will be convenient to compare the distribution, 

 habits, etc., of the two species. 



Limenitis arcJiippns, Cr. — Scudder states that this species 

 ranges nearly all over the United States as far west as the 

 Sierra Nevada, and, in Oregon and British Colombia, to 

 the Pacific. It is however rare in the west, and unknown 

 in Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. It extends from 

 Hudson Bay in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the 

 south. It is thus " found over very nearly the same area 

 as Anosia " (1. c, p. 278). 



Scudder describes its flight as " rather leisurely and 

 sailing " (1. c, p. 277). It frequents " open country in fields 

 and meadows, especially in low ground." Comparing its 

 relative numbers with those of its parent arthemis and the 

 sister species astyanax, Scudder states that archip]}us is 

 " almost universally more numerous in individuals than 

 the others " (1. c, p. 266). Archippus always appears to 

 have two broods where the other two species usually have 

 one. 



The food-plants of the larva are willow and poplar, 

 although many other plants are also recorded. 



Limenitis arthemis, Drury. — Scudder speaks of this as a 

 Canadian species par excellence, ranging over the whole 

 width of Canada east of the Rockies, and far north to an 

 unknown distance. It is also abundant in the north- 

 eastern States. 



Scudder describes its sailing flight (p. 304), also stating 

 that " it is very active, and has a rather short and rapid 

 flight" (p. 303). 



The earlier stages of the two eastern and northern 

 mimetic species of Limenitis and their non - mimetic 

 ancestor are, according to Scudder, only distinguished 

 with difficulty (p. 254). Arthemis and astyanax, ¥., are, 

 however, as we should expect, even more closely similar 

 than arthemis and archippus (p. 255). The larva of 

 arthemis feeds on a great variety of plants, including 

 willow and hawthorn. 



