PINE BUTTERFLIES. 763 
ber is both denser and more valuable than in that under consideration. Whether it 
occurs in the Coast Range in Washington Territory I do not yet know, although we 
might expect its presence, as the Cascades offer a similar vegetation, as well as from 
the general similarity of the Rhopalocerous fauna on both sides of the great Colum- 
bia Plateau, as evidenced by the occurrence of the same species of Pieris, Colias, 
Argynnis, Satyrus, aud Papilio. The area actually visited where serious damage has 
been already committed extends about twenty-five miles north and south, with an 
unknown width, and in this region all the yellow pines have been nearly or totally 
stripped of their foliage, as well as many of the smaller species of Coniferce. 
The appearance of the forest is peculiar. The first impression was that fire had 
scorched the tops of the trees, so brown and withered did they look in their clothing 
of dark, blackish moss ; and before the cause of this effect was discovered, it was only 
by persistently remembering that all the large fir trees were green that the idea 
could be kept out of the mind. 
Life history. — Unfortunately we were only able to study the insect for about seven 
days, or from July 22 to 28, inclusive. During this period we witnessed the pupa- 
tion of the first brood, the emergence of the imago from this brood, and the deposition 
of the eggs. Whether these eggs will hatch this season or remain as eggs until next 
spring we do not know. If they do hatch, as is probable, the larvae will be innumera- 
ble and produce wide-spread devastation. Neither do we know at what period the 
butterflies appeared in the spring, or whether they appeared at all. From analogy 
there ought to have been a spring brood, of which we found the descendants ; but if 
so, they do not appear to have specially attracted the notice of the scattered settlers, 
although they observed great numbers last year during the summer. It is therefore 
evident that, so far as observations in this part of the country are concerned, there is 
yet much to be learned. All parties, however, who were questioned on the subject 
agree that the season of 1881 was the first in which the abundance of the pests was 
such as to cause general comment, the opinion being often expressed that it was not 
previously known, although this is evidently erroneous. As the winter of 1880-81 
was exceptionally severe and peculiar in some of its meteorological phenomena, it be- 
comes of importance to solve the query whether the sudden increase of this species 
was due to peculiar climatic conditions which destroyed great numbers of its para- 
sitic or other enemies without impairing its own vitality. Certain it is that the 
silence of the forest was most remarkable, the absence of birds being specially noticea- 
ble, while bats were more than rare throughout the whole region traversed by our 
party, on both sides of the great plateau. 
Habits of the imago. — The perfect butterfly, when just out of the chrysalis,. is one 
of the most beautiful but at the same time most delicate of its race. It is fragile in 
the extreme, and soon loses its freshness from its habit of creeping into and between 
the pine needles in search of the female, or for the purpose of laying its eggs. Great 
numbers must perish accidentally in high winds ; indeed, dead or damaged ones were 
plentiful in the dust of the roads. Copulation takes place almost directly after 
emergence, often before the wings are fairly dried ; sometimes the male being as fresh 
as the female, sometimes old and worn. The average duration of life is probably 
very short, and in this connection it would be interesting to ascertain whether the 
worn males first seen were relics of the first brood or exceptionally early stragglers 
of the second. 
The egg. — Examination of the abdomen of a female just after copulation disclosed 
49 well-formed eggs. Search for eggs on the terminal needles disclosed them in 
groups ranging from 3 to 22 in number, deposited in a row on the needles, the eggs 
not being set upright, but at an angle of about forty-five degrees, overlapping each 
other like shingles, and apparently thoroughly cemented together. Thos6 found 
were on young trees which had not been touched by the first brood of caterpillars. 
A female found in copula in the morning was imprisoned about 2 o'clock on a pine 
fascicle, and by six o'clock had laid 16 eggs in a continuous row. These were pale 
