104 THE entomologist's record. 



noticed if this is usually the case ? If so, I doubt if this happy choice 

 of position is due to either intelligence or instinct on the part of the 

 insect, but is, in all probability, the accidental guidance of nature, 

 brought about by the butterfly's love, or perhaps I ought to say need, 

 of sunshine. All day it haunts the warm sunlit spots in and near 

 woods, and avoids the coolness of the shade, and, in thus following the 

 progress of the sun during its daily course from east to west, would, 

 when the hour comes for it to settle down for the night, be in a 

 situation lighted by the setting sun, that is to say, with a westerly 

 aspect, and, being a woodland species, frequenting principally the rides 

 and clearings as well as the neighbouring lanes and hedgerows, the 

 sleeping-place chosen would almost certainly be screened on the east 

 by bushes or trees ; so when the wintry weather arrived at the end of 

 autumn, which would numb the butterfly and make it disinclined to 

 fly, such a situation would be sufficiently sheltered for this hardy 

 species to exist in until the advent of spring. 



I add some notes, jotted down from day to day during January and 

 part of February, on the effect of the weather on a hybernating 

 specimen of (i. rlicunni, which may be of some interest, as they treat 

 of the habits of this species at a season when few observations are 

 made, except to record its appearance on the wing, when it has been 

 tempted to indulge in a brief flight on an unusually warm and sunny 

 day, during its period of quiescence through the winter months. 

 I regret that I did not come across the butterfly before the heavy falls 

 of snow we had in December, and also feel rather disappointed that my 

 observations for nearly eight weeks have ended so unsatisfactorily that 

 I am unable to state whether it flew away on its own accord, or 

 whether it met with an untimely end, or was removed, or accidentally 

 disturbed by some person or animal passing by. 



January 1st, 1910. — A warm, sunny day. Found a hybernating 

 specimen of Goneptenj.c iliamni on a stem of Hypericitiii cahjcinum by 

 the side of the most used path in my garden. The butterfly rests 

 head upwards, with the antenna pressed close to one another and 

 extended in front; it clings below the stem by its second and third 

 pairs of legs only, the front pair is not used, but kept neatly folded 

 together between the others and against the thorax, after the manner 

 of a Nymphalid. The position is well sheltered on the north by a 

 thick group of evergreen trees and shrubs, and on the east by a terrace, 

 but is nevertheless rather a cool situation, as it receives very little 

 sunshine owing to a Cedrus dendara, which shades the spot most of the 

 day ; the only times the sun's rays reach there are between 9 and 10 

 o'clock in the morning, and again for a longer period at sundown. 

 The clump of Hypericum was trimmed well back, late in the autumn, 

 as it was spreading over the pathway, and the stem on which the 

 butterfly rests is one of the outer shoots which has been clipped down 

 to about six inches, and, as the new leaves have not yet grown very 

 large, they do not afi'ord much protection from the weather. I am 

 unable to say whether the butterfly was there before the shrub was 

 trimmed, but it is quite possible that it may have only taken up its 

 position on the plant quite recently, for the last few days have been 

 warm and spring-like, and yesterday, December 31st, I noticed a 

 specimen of Vanessa io on the wing in my garden. 



January 24th. — Weather neither very bright nor warm, but a still 



