Part 17 (1/2)

This b.u.t.terfly has been found in Labrador, Greenland, and other portions of arctic America, as far north as lat.i.tude 81 52'.

(9) =Brenthis frigga=, Thunberg, Plate XV, Fig. 13, ?; Fig. 14, ?, _lower side_ (Frigga).

_b.u.t.terfly_, ?.--On the upper side this b.u.t.terfly somewhat closely resembles _polaris_, but the markings are not so compact--more diffuse.

The fore wings at the base and the hind wings on the inner two thirds are heavily obscured with brown. The outer margins are more heavily shaded with blackish-brown than in _B. polaris_. On the under side the wings are quite differently marked. The fore wings are fulvous, shaded with brown at the tips, and marked with light yellow on the inters.p.a.ces beyond the end of the cell. The hind wings are dark ferruginous, shading into purplish-gray on the outer margin, with a whitish quadrate spot on the costa near the base, marked with two dark spots, and a bar of pale, somewhat obscured spots, forming an irregular band across the middle of the hind wings.

?.--The female does not differ greatly from the male, except that the spots on the under side of the hind wings stand forth more conspicuously, being lighter in color and better defined. Expanse, 1.65-2.00 inches.

This pretty little b.u.t.terfly occurs in Labrador, across the continent as far west as northern Alaska, and is also occasionally taken upon the alpine summits of the Rocky Mountains as far south as Colorado.

(10) =Brenthis bellona=, Fabricius, Plate XV, Fig. 16, ?; Plate V, Fig.

10, _chrysalis, side view_; Fig. 11, _chrysalis, side view_ (Meadow Fritillary).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Pale fulvous on the upper side, with the dark markings on the inner half of the wing narrow, but more or less confluent. The dark markings on the outer part of the wing are slighter. The fore wings are a little angled on the outer margin below the apex. On the under side the fore wings are pale fulvous, mottled with purple at the tip and on the outer margin. The hind wings on this side are ferruginous, mottled with purple. Expanse, 1.65-1.80 inch.

_Egg._--The egg of this species is similar in form, size, color, and markings to the egg of _B. myrina_.

_Caterpillar._--The caterpillar also in its early stages closely resembles _myrina_, but in its mature form it differs in not having the spines on the second segment of the body lengthened as in that species.

_Chrysalis._--The chrysalis, which is represented in Plate V, is bluish-gray in color, marked with dark spots. The life-history has been given us by several authors.

This b.u.t.terfly is very common in the whole of the northern United States, as far south as the mountain-ranges of Virginia, and occurs throughout Quebec, Ontario, and British America, as far west as the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains. It flies commonly with _B. myrina_, the only other species of the genus found in the densely populated portions of our territory, from which it may be at once distinguished by the entire absence of the silvered markings which make _B. myrina_ so bright and attractive.

(11) =Brenthis epith.o.r.e=, Boisduval, Plate XV, Fig. 17, ?; Fig. 18, ?, _under side_ (Epith.o.r.e).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This species on the upper side is pale fulvous, with the markings slighter than in _B. bellona_, and the inner half of the hind wings much more heavily clouded with fuscous. On the under side the wings are somewhat like those of _B. bellona_, but less purple and mottled more distinctly with yellow. Expanse, ?, 1.50 inch; ?, 1.85 inch.

_Early Stages._--Undescribed.

This species appears to replace _B. bellona_, its close ally, in California, Oregon, and the States eastward as far as parts of Colorado.

(12) =Brenthis alberta=, Edwards, Plate XV, Fig. 15, ? (Alberta).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This, the least attractive in appearance of the species composing the genus, has pale wings with a ”washed-out” appearance on the upper side, almost all the dark markings being greatly reduced or obliterated. On the under side the wings are even more obscurely marked than on the upper side. The female is darker than the male, and specimens have a greasy look. Expanse, ?, 1.55 inch; ?, 1.65-1.75 inch.

_Early Stages._--Unknown, except the egg and the young caterpillar, which have been most beautifully figured by Edwards in vol. iii of ”The b.u.t.terflies of North America.” The only locality from which specimens have as yet been received by collectors is Laggan, in Alberta, where the species apparently is not uncommon at lofty elevations above sea-level.

(13) =Brenthis astarte=, Doubleday and Hewitson, Plate XVIII, Fig. 14, ?; Fig. 15, ?, _under side_ (Astarte).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This rare insect, the largest of the genus, may at once be distinguished from all others by the very beautiful markings of the under side of the hind wings, crossed by a band of irregular, bright-yellow spots, which are narrowly edged with black, and beyond the black bordered by red. Expanse, ?, 2.00 inches; ?, 2.15 inches.

_Early Stages._--Unknown.

The first description and figure of this insect were given by Doubleday and Hewitson in their large and now very valuable work on ”The Genera of Diurnal Lepidoptera.” They correctly attributed it to the Rocky Mountains, but Kirby afterward gave Jamaica as its habitat, and this led to its subsequent redescription by Edwards under the name _Victoria_. It is a rare species still, having been received only from Laggan, Alberta, where it was rediscovered by that most indefatigable collector and observer, Mr. T.E. Bean. It frequents the highest summits of the lofty mountains about this desolate locality. Mr. Bean says: ”_Astarte_ seems always on the lookout for an entomologist, whose advent is carefully noted, and at any approach of such a monster nearer than about fifteen feet, its wings rise to half-mast, vibrate there a doubtful instant, and away goes the b.u.t.terfly.”

In addition to the thirteen species figured in our plates there are two other species of the genus, _B. butleri_, Edwards, from Grinnell Land, and _B. improba_, Butler, from near the arctic circle. It is not likely that many of the readers of this book will encounter these insects in their rambles, and if they should, they will be able to ascertain their names quickly, by conferring with the author.

SUSPICIOUS CONDUCT

The entomologist must not expect to be always thoroughly understood. The ways of scientific men sometimes appear strange, mysterious, bordering even upon the insane, to those who are uninitiated. A celebrated American naturalist relates that on one occasion, when chasing b.u.t.terflies through a meadow belonging to a farmer, the latter came out and viewed him with manifest anxiety. But when the nature of the efforts of the man of science had been finally explained, the farmer heaved a sigh of relief, remarking, in Pennsylvania Dutch, that ”he had surely thought, when he first saw him, that he had just escaped from a lunatic asylum.” The writer, a number of years ago, after having despatched a very comfortable lunch, sallied forth one afternoon, in quest of insects, and in the course of his wanderings came upon a refuse-heap by the roadside, opposite a substantial house, and on this heap discovered an ancient ham, which was surrounded by a mult.i.tude of beetles of various species known to be partial to decomposed, or semi-decomposed, animal matter. He proceeded immediately to bottle a number of the specimens. While engaged in so doing, the window of the house across the way was thrown up, and an elderly female thrust her head out, and in strident voice exclaimed: ”Hey, there! What are you doin' with that ham?