120 



The Rhopalocera of the Indian Territory in 1893-4. 



ByW. Mansbridge, F.E.S. Read December iT^th, 1894 



The species of Lepidoptera noted in this paper were collected in 

 the Cherokee and Osage nations of the Indian Territory in the 

 spring of 1893 and of 1894. 



The district worked was a tract of country about 50 miles by 30, 

 consisting entirely of prairie land. My headquarters were at 

 Sequoyah, in the Cherokee nation, from whence, as a centre, expe- 

 ditions were made in every direction, chiefly south and west. 



It is not necessary to make more than a passing allusion to the 

 character of the country, since I suppose there are few who are not 

 familiar with the aspect of the prairie lands, so much has been 

 written of them from time to time. 



The North-west, and, indeed, almost the whole of the Indian 

 Territory, is famed as being the most beautiful country of its kind in 

 the whole of the United States. And not without reason is it worthy 

 this reputation. These prairies are pre-em.inent examples of the 

 variety known as " rolling," from the resemblance they bear to 

 gigantic waves, extending as they do for hundreds, even thousands, 

 of miles. 



These prairies are very fertile by reason of the numerous creeks 

 that intersect them every few miles, and in spring every little hollow 

 between the undulations has its streamlet, where the verdure is 

 richer and more abundant, until the hot sun dries up the moisture 



The larger creeks support a belt of timber which varies in width, 

 from a few hundred yards to several miles, according to the amount 

 of moisture in the soil which enables the trees and undergrowth to 

 withstand the effect of the prairie fires. 



Were it not for these fires the prairie would be a vast forest — at 

 any rate in this region — but the fires occurring as soon as the grass 

 is dry enough to burn, effectually confine the woods to the moist 

 areas bordering the creeks and rivers. I have seen many trees on 

 the outskirts of the timber scarred by fire, and here and there one 

 which, less protected than its fellows, had been " ringed " by the 

 flames and thus killed. Every spring vast numbers of seedhngs can 

 be seen on the high prairie, but they come up only to be killed by 

 the first visitation of this scourge of these immense meadows. 



Judging only by the aspect of the land in spring — the rich grass 

 and varied foliage of the woods, the hundred flowers of tree and herb, 

 — the visitor, on entomological thought intent, might well consider it 

 a land of promise ; but it is promise of short life. As the weeks go 

 rapidly by — one might almost say days — he will see that the grass 

 will be burnt up by the scorching sun and the flowers will disappear, 

 except some few species that seem to be able to stand anything in 

 the way of cUmate, and for weeks together there will be no butterflies 

 to tempt the collector out of the shade. 



