1881.) . ‘The Length of Life of Butterflies. 869 
Ajax telamonides, and showed that an individual life could hardly 
be more than two to three weeks. It was stated that not only in 
this species but in most or all which had come under observa- 
tion, it is the old males which mate with the young female as 
soon, or nearly as soon, as she emerges from the chrysalis. These 
old males are on the watch, flying about everywhere, and seize 
the young female, often before her wings are dry, and hence 
before the young male, if emerging at the same time with the 
female, would be strong enough to take part in the copulation. 
Consequently it happens that many of the males are unable to 
find mates, and these males are the longest lived. The last butter- 
flies of the generation are often seen to be old males, who prob- 
ably have never mated. 
Similar conclusions as to the duration of life were drawn from 
observations on the polymorphic species, Lyce@na pseudargiolus 
of which Z. wiclacea is the early form. 
For an example of the hibernating species, the . history of D. 
archippus was detailed. It is three or four brooded in West Vir- 
inia ; the old females die in May after laying their eggs. These 
€ggs produce the first generation of butterflies of the year, and 
the females of this lay eggs which produce the second genera- 
tion, and so on to the end. The eggs are always laid. by females 
plainly not long from the chrysalis. We have carefully watched this 
Species all through the year 1878, and had given the results as 
briefly stated here in Psyche, Dec., 1878. This was because Mr. 
Scudder, in Psyche, July, 1875, had represented Archippus as 
having habits unlike any other butterfly, in that it was single- 
brooded over North America, and not double brooded ; that it 
left its winter quarters late and continued on the wing the rest of 
the season, laying eggs all the time, so that the caterpillars to be 
found all along through the season were produced by its eggs, 
stead of coming from the eggs of young females. The young 
females in fact could not lay until they had passed hibernation. 
It will be seen that such behavior involves a radical change of 
habits of the race, wherein this butterfly, laying eggs at intervals 
for months, approaches the mammals. 
Mr. Scudder recently repeats this story in his “ Butterflies,” 
1881, without note or comment or any additional data, or any 
Verification at all, and hence Mr. Edward's paper. 
