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The boxes I have brought to-night contain examples of every 

 species of Rhopalocera that I was able to find in a period of six 

 months, which includes two springs in every way normal as to 

 climatic conditions. 



Grandest of all the butterflies of this region is Papilio turnus, of 

 which I only secured seven specimens — one in May, the remainder 

 early in July. I also saw the species at St. Louis in September. It 

 is distributed generally over the Eastern States, but I do not know of 

 its capture farther west than Kansas. 



The solitary example of Papilio cresphontes in my box I captured 

 on flowers in July. 



Papilio asterias and P. philenor, are the commonest butterflies in 

 the Indian territory, excepting only Dariais archippus. Appearing 

 early in April, probably a first brood, P. philenor is a very con- 

 spicuous insect as it flits over the herbage or rests for a moment on 

 the low flowers, and it is tolerably common in both sexes until the 

 middle of May, then there is a lapse until the second brood comes 

 out in company with P. asterias in the early part of July, when both 

 species are very abundant ; both insects can be easily taken from the 

 flowers, but when alarmed they fly quicker than any other butterfly I 

 have ever seen. 



I shall not easily forget the appearance a patch of ironweed 

 presented every day for about three weeks in July ; this plant is allied 

 to our common knapweed, and grows as high as a man, in extensive 

 patches on the " bottom " lands, and the butterflies swarm to it. The 

 bit I have in mind is situated on the edge of a wood, where it is 

 sheltered from the wind, which is always high on the open prairie. 

 Here P. philenor and P. asterias were in hundreds, — although the 

 iromveed was only about a couple of hundred square yards in extent, 

 and occasionally a P. turniis and P. ajax lent an exciting feature to 

 my hourly visits. Scores of Eiiptoieta claudia and Danais archippus 

 were also on the scene, together with the smaller species such as 

 Eudamus bathylliis and E. tityrus, the small blues, and skippers ; a 

 few V. atalanta and V. interrogationis, and the pretty Phyciodes 

 tharos, var. morpheus, with rarely a hawk-moth or the American 

 humming-bird moth, He^naris thysbe. Most of the butterflies were 

 so engrossed that I could take them between my finger and thumb, 

 thus I was able to select the very finest examples for the collection. 

 The sight was charming, and I used to go out merely to watch these 

 magnificent insects flying round the flowers. If insects had always 

 been as abundant I should have indeed done well ; but it was only 

 just at that time, and even then the list was limited. 



Perhaps the greatest favourite of all is Papilio ajax of the long 

 tails ; its easy graceful flight always at the same distance above 

 the ground is just slow enough to let the collector see the full 

 beauty of its delicate colours — as if it were aware of its beauty, 

 and wanted admiration. This species also is taken occasionally 



