Oct., '09] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 351 



An Observation on the Intelligence of Junonia. 



By WILLIAM SCHRADER, Los Angeles, Cal. 



I have made breeding experiments with a number of differ- 

 ent butterflies, and found Junonia cocnia one of the tamest, 

 and most intelligent butterflies in captivity. It seems not to 

 be known exactly for what purpose the antennae of butter- 

 flies are used. I observed while feeding butterflies with honey, 

 that Vanncssa bend their antennae close to the ground several 

 times, probably to feel, or to smell. But Junonia coenia, when 

 I put it behind red paper, ran over the surface, and used its 

 antennae very often, bending clown to the paper, and when it 

 came to a darker red place, stopped at it, and bent several 

 times on that darker place ; then remaining on the lighter place, 

 turned four times with the head to the right in a perfect circle, 

 and exactly four times back to the left, on the same spot ; and 

 later did the same thing once more, six times round to the 

 right, and exactly six times back again. Is Junonia able to 

 count, who knows? An explanation for turning around so 

 often, may be found in the fact that Junonia rests with its tail 

 to the sun, and as my red colored paper was placed vertically 

 between the butterfly and the sun, it was puzzled in what di- 

 rection to rest. 



Professor G. H. Parker believes the object of the creature 

 thus turning its tail to the sun is to display its coloring to the 

 greatest advantage. And he says further : When a butterfly 

 with cryptically colored under-side rests upon a flat surface in 

 bright sunshine its shadow is often more conspicuous than 

 the insect itself, so that economy of shadow may be a valuable 

 means of protection. I, for my part, see things more in a prac- 

 tical way, and believe that the butterflies turn their heads from 

 the sun for no other purpose than to see better. Would any- 

 body who looked out for a friend or enemy look in the direc- 

 tion of the sun ? I believe not, and T think a smart or highly 

 developed butterfly learns how to see best the same as other 

 animals. To return to the antennae, I believe they have other 

 functions than that of smell and hearing, as some scienti^ 

 assert, as nothing to smell or hear was on the red colored paper, 



