230 UNDER THE OPEN SKY 



wrecked and drowned husband, and are not 

 all kingfishers dear to him for her sake? 

 So these lovely sunny days are called king- 

 fisher days — halcyon days, for halcyon is 

 the name of the kingfisher. 



But belated as a kingfisher is at this time 

 of the year, surely he seems less out of place 

 than does a live butterfly, however dull and 

 sleepy it may be. 



A WINTER BUTTERFLY 



THE MOURNING CLOAK 



Butterflies and winter do not seem to fit 

 together. A well-conducted butterfly ought 

 to die in the fall at least, if not in the summer. 

 And indeed the life of this airy creature, 

 after he has once gained his wings and 

 become truly a butterfly, is usually very 

 short. We have one family of them, how- 

 ever, of which several members have the 

 very unusual habit of overwintering. I 

 found one of them the other day under- 

 neath a sheltering stone on a neighboring 

 hill-side. She was probably born some- 

 time in September. That she is living now 



