COLLECTING IN NEW ENGLAND, 119 



may be taken in May and not in June. The night-flyers during 

 May are numerous, mostly Noctuids, but a good many of other 

 groups. Several species of Arctians, some of them quite hand- 

 some and most of them rare, are out now; and the large 

 Saturnians begin to appear. The beautiful Actias lima, ** queen 

 of the night," is the first to emerge When properly spread for 

 the cabinet it has a most graceful appearance ; but its flight is 

 very awkward, having about as much grace as that of a cockchafer. 

 If the season is good a great many moths are attracted by sugar, 

 among which Catocala, or Catocalirrhus nuhilis, is the largest. It 

 is grey, secondaries bright yellow, with two black median bands. 

 June is the month of butterflies and flowers. The swallow- 

 tails are in their glory. Danais archippus has arrived, dusty and 

 travel-stained, from the south. Three large Argynnis — cyhele, 

 aphrodite, and atlantis — are common the last of the month. 

 Melitcea phaeton, M. harrisii, and M. nycteis, are common, but 

 very local. Satyrids are not well represented in Eastern United 

 States ; only five species are native in New Hampshire, but they 

 are all quite common. Neonympha eurytris, a small dark drab 

 species, with two eye-spots on primaries and one on secondaries, 

 is a common species on woody hills and rocky pastures in the 

 early part of June. Dehis portlandia, a larger and handsomer 

 species, is not quite so common in the woods in the valleys. 

 Chrysophanus hypo-phloeas is very abundant from May until 

 October. It occurs in great variety, all grades, from the banded 

 to the immaculate form, being common. The variations are 

 more abundant in the spring brood. There are five species 

 of Thecla flying in June, — three common, and two rather scarce. 

 Around the banks of brooks, where alder grows rank, a delicate 

 and rare little butterfly may be found from the 1st of June until 

 the middle of August. It expands about an inch and a half; the 

 upper side is tawny orange, with curious blotches and marks in 

 black ; the under side of secondaries is brown, with grey rings. 

 This is Feniseca tarquinius, as far as is known the only carnivo- 

 rous butterfly. The larva feeds on the plant-lice which infest the 

 alder, currant, &c., but is hard to find, because it covers itself 

 with down from its victims. The Hesperidse this month are very 

 numerous and varied. Ancyloxypha namitor, a small, but pretty 

 brown and yellow species, is common around thick grass near 

 standing water. There are eight species of Pamphila {Hesperia), 

 two of Amhlyscirtes, four of Nisoniades {Tliaiios), and three 

 Eudamus. Most of them are common, and some are very 

 abundant. The largest and handsomest is Eudamus tityrus. It 

 expands from two to two and a half inches, and is dark brown, 

 with a translucent honey-yellow band across the primaries, 

 showing on both sides. The under side of secondaries is over- 

 laid with purplish scales, and has a broad band of silvery white. 

 The moths are very numerous and varied, and it is useless to try 



