194 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



proved to be an addition to the county list, the only previous 

 records of the species being from Cambridgeshire and the 

 New Forest ! 



A short paper by William Falconer, 1 entitled " Nesting 

 Habits of the Common Mole," deals with an interesting 

 variation of habit. It appears that in the fen district of 

 Wicken, Cambridgeshire, the mole does not burrow in the 

 usual way, but constructs a spherical nest of bits of old dry 

 leaves, depositing it " amongst bedding of the same materials 

 in a hollow of the ground between tufts of sedge and grass, 

 and concealed by them." This is an interesting adaptation 

 to the peculiar nature of the ground, for, as the author points 

 out, the fen is always more or less permeated with water, 

 even in the driest season, and should the usual burrowing 

 habit be followed, percolating water would find its way 

 in and drown the young broods. Two nests about the size 

 of a cricket ball, and constructed in the manner stated, were 

 found, each containing five young moles. In wet seasons 

 the animals build high massive mounds said to contain " as 

 much soil as would fill a wheelbarrow." 



The sleeping attitude of Butterflies is a subject of which 

 one hears and reads little, and hence a short paper by F. W. 

 Frohawk 2 is of much interest. It appears that the Lycaenidse 

 or " Blues " go to sleep in the twilight and evening, resting 

 head downwards on the flower-heads and stems of grasses, 

 etc. ; but that when darkness comes on they reverse their 

 position, and sleep with the head uppermost. The author 

 recently experimented with examples of Lyccsna icarus, our 

 " Common Blue," and found this habit of changing position 

 when darkness set in fully confirmed. One wonders what 

 object is served by this curious habit. It has been assumed 

 that in the downward position the insect to some extent 

 defeats the attacks of birds which might seize them during 

 twilight, and which in this position merely grasp the wings 

 instead of the all-important thorax, whereas after dark, when 

 birds also are at rest, the upright position becomes a safe 

 one. As the author remarks, this may be so, but the idea 



1 Naturalist, August 1914, p. 238. 



2 Entomologist, August 1914, pp. 212-213. 



