49 2 [Proc B.N.F.C., 



detail. The laivse feeds on plants of asclepias or milkweed, 

 which is common everywhere in the Northern States. The 

 eggs are. laid on the leaves of the food plant ; they hatch in 

 about four or five days, and the caterpillars commence to feed ; 

 they eat voraciously and mature rapidly, becoming often full 

 grown in two weeks. The Danais in question is one of the 

 most widespread butterflies in America, being found over 

 almost the entire continent, from Canada to Patagonia and from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific. It has extraordinary powers of 

 flight, and in autumn, when abundant, collects in vast flocks of 

 hundreds of thousands and migrates southwards. They return 

 north in the spring, not in crowds, but singly, the females 

 laying their eggs wherever they may chance to be, many of the 

 young butterflies proceeding further north as soon as they 

 emerge. Within the last thirty years this insect is said to have 

 spread all over the islands of the Pacific, and even to Australia 

 and Java. In 1877 it made its way to the Atlantic coast of 

 France, and a number of instances of its capture in England 

 have since been recorded. The reader met with one of our 

 own rather rare butterflies, the Red Admiral, in great abund- 

 ance, and one of the rarest British species, the Camberwell 

 Beauty, he found in profusion in New England. Many 

 interesting facts were mentioned concerning the various 

 families of North American butterflies and macro lepidoptera. 

 These details were from his own personal observation, and 

 were illustrated by abundant and beautiful specimens of the 

 species referred to. 



Both papers gave rise to an animated discussion, several 

 members referring to their experience in the study, collecting 

 and mounting our native butterflies. 



