47 



On Plate III. we find figures of Argynnis Lais Edw., a pretty little species (but 

 belonging to the same group as Cybele, Atlantis, and Electa), discovered in the Northwest 

 Territories by Capt. Gamble Geddes, in July, 1883. The artist has been particularly 

 happy in the coloration of this plate, especially so in catching the peculiar dull ochrey- 

 brown tint which is characteristic of the female. Of most interest to Oanadians, however, 

 is the fact that although this species is abundant in certain parts of the Northwest 

 Territories, easily accessible, and comparatively well settled, nothing is known of its 

 preparatory stages. The eggs of the species belonging to the same group are easily 

 obtainable by tying females over growing plants of violets. Surely some of the readers 

 of the Canadian Entomologist have friends living in the Calgary District, or at McLean, 

 where it is very abundant, who, even if not entomologists, would, were the scientific 

 importance of the results placed before them, at any rate take the trouble to confine a 

 few females in gauze bags over living plants, and send Mr. Edwards the eggs. There is 

 very little trouble about this matter ; living roots of violets can be sent by mail in a 

 piece of oiled-paper, and will grow easily, if kept watered, in any of the tins used for 

 canned vegetables (flower-pots are rare commodities in the N. W. T.) All that is neces- 

 sary is to bend two pieces of wire so as to make a pent-house over the plant, and then 

 placing a bag of muslin over the whole, secure it by means of an elastic band round the 

 top of the can. This should be kept out of doors in a shady spot. 



The importance of Mr. Edwards's studies of the Diurnal Lepidoptera of North 

 America is perhaps hardly appreciated, until we remember that, with the exception of a 

 few of our commonest butterflies, almost nothing was known of their life-histories until 

 he turned his attention to them in 1868. At the present time, however, it is far other- 

 wise ; for by close study, diligent care, and accurate observation, he has himself worked 

 out the complete life-histories of a large proportion of the recorded North American 

 species. Moreover, many discoveries of great interest have rewarded his constant efforts : 

 The tri-morphism of Papilio Ajax and Colias Eurytheme, the seasonal dimorphism first of 

 Grapta Interrogationis, then of others in the same genus, as well as the effects of cold 

 upon larvse and the perfect insects, may especially be referred to. 



There was a marked advance in Yol. II. over Vol. I. in the amount of information 

 given concerning the life-histories of the species described. This is accounted for in the 

 prefatory notice of the present part as follows : — 



"When Yol. I. was undertaken, in 1868,. nothing was known by myself or any one 

 else, of eggs, larvse, or chrysalids, except of the more common butterflies. As an e^g or 

 larva could but rarely be traced back to a particular female, it was impossible that much 

 knowledge could be gained of the life-histories. Scarcely any advance in this respect had 

 been made, in fact, since the time of Abbott, about 1800. . . . But in 1870 I dis- 

 covered an infallible way to obtain eggs from the female of any species of butterfly 

 namely, by confining her with the growing food-plant ... and from that day to the 

 present I have so obtained eggs at will ... and have reared larvse without end 

 In this way, many cases of polymorphism have been established, and the position of many 

 doubtful forms settled. A light has also been thrown on the limits of variation in species 

 In every case I have preserved descriptions of the several stages ... Of a larcre 

 proportion, also, Mrs. Peart has executed colored drawings, magnified' when necessary 

 and my albums contain nearly one thousand figures." 



Mr. Edwards concludes : " And so, in this Christmas time of 1886, I commend Yol 

 III. to the good will of the friends who have made my small audience for so many 

 years. J 



Surely we may go further— a long way further— than this, and commend it not only 

 to the few friends who have had the good fortune to listen to Mr. Edwards's teaching in 

 the past, and perhaps to catch some of his enthusiasm ; but also to every entomologist or 

 possessor of a library, whether in America or any other part of the world, who wishes to 

 have the most complete, as far as it goes, accurate, and, for the style of the work the 

 cheapest— in short, the bestr— work yet published upon the Butterflies of North America 



