PAPILTO XII., XIII. 
Later Mr. Wright wrote me that on 15th September he found a half grown 
larva of Rutulus near his house. 
Mr. Baron, some years ago, reported that in north California he saw Rutulus 
laying on willow, and he got the egg. This was mentioned in Papilio III., p. 65, 
1883. Mr. R. H. Stretch, who has had great experience in collecting and breed¬ 
ing butterflies in California, and is a careful observer of their habits, wrote me, 
30th April, 1883 : “ I see a note of yours about the egg of Rutulus on willow. 
Now Rutulus is always found hawking up and down willow thickets in preference 
to any other locality, and I have always supposed it to be a willow feeder, 
though I never succeeded in finding the larva.” Unquestionably, willow is the 
usual food of this species, but other plants must also be eaten, though they may 
not be preferred. 
Mr. T. L. Mead, in Psyche II., p. 180, 1878, says that one female of several con¬ 
fined by him when in California over a branch of wild cherry laid twenty eggs, 
but the others refused. He found the young larvae more difficult to raise than 
those of Turnus, and in fact they all died when past the first moult. He says, 
“ Mr. Henry Edwards informs me that he has repeatedly found larvae of this 
species, but usually lost them before they changed to chrysalis.” As to this state¬ 
ment, Mr. Edwards tells me that he probably spoke of Eurymedon , which he 
formerly mixed up with Rutulus, and that he never had larvae of Rutulus but 
once, and then from three eggs which he saw a female lay on alder, Aina viridis, 
as mentioned in Papilio II., p. 113. These larvae died from neglect after third 
moult. So that, as far as known, willow and alder are the only food plants of 
this species, for the eggs obtained by Mr. Mead were laid in confinement, and the 
larvae died not long after hatching. 
The first lot of eggs sent me by Mr. Wright suffered from mould on the jour¬ 
ney, and but one hatched. I offered the larva leaves of cherry, apple, and tulip 
tree (this last the favorite food of P. Turnus), but it died, having eaten nothing. 
The next lot arrived 31st May, ten days en route, and all apparently heal thy. 
One larva came out 1st June and eight the next day. I gave these tulip leaves 
only. On the 5th five larvae died suddenly, after vomiting a purple fluid, and by 
the 6th all were dead. They seemed to have been poisoned by the food, which 
they had eaten of very sparingly, nibbling a little here and there. Evidently the 
food was distasteful to them. 
On 5th June more eggs arrived, and to the larvae from them I offered tulip, 
cherry, apple, and willow. Next day all were found on the willow and feeding. 
Two other lots of eggs came, to 11th June, and only willow was given the larvae. 
Henceforth there was no more trouble and no loss. The larvae are as easy to 
raise as are those of Turnus. Some examples at each stage were preserved in 
