-64 The Irish Naturalist. June, 



What attractions the barren peak in question possessed 

 it is impossible to say. It was certainly not prolific in the 

 food-plants of either insect, nettles being absent, and 

 thistles small and sparse. 



If we regard these insects as newly-arrived migrants, 

 their occupation of the hill-top may merel}^ indicate that it 

 lay in their line of flight. Having travelled, as they probably 

 did, at some height over the sea, they may find these 

 elevated spots the most suitable for alighting, and may 

 have used them as landmarks. That, however, does not 

 help to settle the question, " what they fought each other 

 for." 



After my return to Dublin I heard from a lady living 

 in another part of Co. Wexford (Miss Deane, of Longraigue), 

 that she had been surprised at finding a large assemblage 

 of Red Admirals on the top of Carrickbyrne — a hill of 

 character very similar to that of Boley. But I should add 

 that when visiting the neighbourhood of Boley again in 

 August, when newly-hatched Red Admiral and Painted 

 Lady butterflies were to be seen in the lowlands, there were 

 none to be found on the hill-top where they had been so 

 conspicuous all through June. So the habit of gathering 

 and holding tournaments in such places, whatever its 

 object, would seem to be a peculiarity of the butterflies' 

 pairing-season. 



I would refer here to the interesting account given by 

 Mr. Praeger in the Irish Naturalist for last August (p. 97) 

 of the behaviour of a Silver- washed Fritillary (Argynnis 

 paphia), which he watched for some time flying up and 

 down a regular beat of about 100 yards. On the appearance, 

 every now and then, of a second butterfly, " the two would 

 whirl up high in air, and fly to windward till lost to 

 sight ; but in a minute one — presumably the same — would 

 return and resume its patrol." Regarding these upward 

 flights as acts of courtship, Mr. Praeger was naturally a bit 

 surprised to find that when he took to throwing stones near 

 this patrolling butterfly it gave chase to the stones just as it 

 had given chase to the other butterflies, But is it not much 



