SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES — CLARK 403 



quite torpid and inert. Some of them have the habit of flying in 

 long erratic zigzags up the mountain vallej'^s in the morning sunshine, 

 and gradually drifting down again in the afternoon. 



Most of the Parnassians are single brooded, but in some of the 

 Indian species, as in Pamassius hardwicMi^ there are two broods that 

 are divided into a lighter dry season form and a darker wet season 

 form, and a winter form resembling the latter, all with numerous 

 intergrades. 



Some of the species of Parnassius pass the winter in the e^gg,, others 

 as caterpillars, still others in the chrysalis, and some as perfect 

 butterflies. 



In the State of Guerrero in western Mexico at about 4,500 feet above 

 the sea lives the single species {hrevicornis) of the curious genus 

 Baronia (pi. 6, figs. 17-22; pi. 7, fig. 23), which is allied to the true 

 Parnassians, though superficially in the shape of its wings and in its 

 color pattern it recalls, in a general way, some of the Asiatic milk- 

 weed butterflies. This insect has short antennae with a prominent 

 club, and very short legs. It is usually yellow and black, the light 

 areas on the under side of the hind wings having a lovely pearly luster. 

 The females are very variable. They may be like the males, but with 

 the yellow ground color more extended (pi. 7, fig. 23), or the yellow 

 may be replaced by dull orange (pi. 6, figs. 19, 20), or they may be 

 wholly dark brown or black (pi. 6, figs. 21, 22), except for a few small 

 white spots in the apex of the fore wings. 



CATCHING SWALLOWTAILS 



In a popular Italian card game, " II matto ", or the crazy man, is 

 depicted prancing about waving a net at a butterfly about the size of 

 a large hawk. This is a fairly correct portrayal of the w^ay swallow- 

 tails are popularly supposed to be collected and of the popular 

 appraisal of the collector. 



Collectors are of two sorts. There are those who wander about 

 netting anything that may come their way in the hope of gathering 

 up something of interest — after the fashion of II matto. We can 

 forget these. But there are others who know exactly what they 

 want and just how to go about to get it. 



If a collector happens to want swallowtails, he first learns what 

 ones are found, or are supposed to be found, or are likely to occur, in 

 the region to be visited at the time when he will be there. And he 

 also learns all he can about the habits of each kind. Some of them 

 will be found anywhere in open country, perhaps favoring the 

 wetter or the drier regions ; many will occur about the borders of the 

 woods or in the woodland glades; a few will live wholly in the 

 woods ; and a very few will seclude themselves in bogs or swamps. 



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