we were about ten miles from San Bias in California, vast numbers of butter- 

 flies, in flocks of countless myriads, extended as far as the eye could range. 

 Even by the aid of a glass it was not possible to see a space free from 

 butterflies. The seamen called out that it was snowing butterflies, and such, 

 in fact, was the appearance. More species than one were present, but the 

 main part belonged to a kind very similar to, but not identical with, the 

 common English Colias edusa. The day had been fine and calm, and the 

 one previous equally so, with bright variable airs ; hence, we cannot suppose 

 that the insects were blown off the land • but we must conclude that they 

 ■voluntarily took flight." 



The species was most probably Colias chrysotheme, which is found in a 

 limited district of Central and South -Eastern Europe, but in North America 

 occurs over a very wide range. 



In his " Illustrations of British Entomology/' James Erancis Stephens 

 figured and described a North American species, Philodice as British, under 

 the name of Europome. Two others — Palceno and Myrmidone — have also 

 been erroneously recorded as British. 



COLIAS EDUSA. 

 Clouded Yellow, 



Edusa, Eab. Edusa a Eoman divinity, worshipped as the protectress of 

 children, and supposed to bless their food. 



The wings, which expand from one inch and eight lines in some examples, 

 to two inches and five lines in others, are of an exceedingly rich orange-yellow 

 or saffron colour ; and have a broad dark brown or nearly black border. This 

 border is marked in the male with thin yellow streaks, and in the female 

 with pale yellow spots. There is a beautiful rosy tinge in the fringe of the 

 wings and on their front edge. The underside of the wings is of a paler 

 yellow than the upper, taking a citron hue in some parts, and marked with 

 black and brown. In the centre of each hind- wing is a brown- circled 

 silvery spot. 



In shape it varies considerably, especially in the hind margin of the fore- 

 wings, which is either rounded, straight, convex or concave, and curved ; the 

 inner margin also varies, as does the shape of the hind- wings. 



The colour is also subject to much variation. The brilliant orange or 

 saffron varies in intensity, and there is the greenish- white variety of the female 

 Called Helice ; intermediate shades between these two are to be met with, 

 and specimens have been taken with the fore- wings of Helice and the hind- 



