SOME HABITS OF POLYGONIA C-ALBUM WHEN OVIPOSITING. 125 



Some habits of Polygonia c-album when ovipositing, etc. 



By J. F. BIRD. 



For two mornings running, on March 31st and April 1st, we had 

 the pleasure of watching a female Polygonia c-album, I believe the 

 same one, flitting about the garden and ovipositing on the gooseberry 

 and currant bushes. So that we might have an opportunity of 

 ascertaining how this butterfly lays her eggs under natural conditions, 

 we resisted the great temptation to capture and sleeve her. In this 

 habit of the female, of haunting one particular spot for a day, or 

 consecutive days, when egg-laying, it resembles Pyrantels atalanta 

 and, probably, P. eardui. On March 31st, a fine and hot spring day, 

 my attention was attracted to it by its flying by and settling on the 

 ground near by, to bask in the sun with outspread wings. So far as I 

 have noticed, this insect is more often seen to settle on the ground when 

 sunning itself after hybernation. At other times of the year they are 

 generally to be observed, when enjoying the sunshine, to sit on the 

 leaves of bushes or bracken fronds, but are rather fond, at any time, 

 of settling on walls. After remaining for a moment or two on the 

 ground, the butterfly I was watching flew off, and I lost sight of her 

 for a time, but soon afterwards found her again among the currant 

 bushes. Here she flew about for some while, either settling on the 

 ground or wall, or else visiting the fruit bushes ; alighting sometimes 

 on the stems and branches of the less forward plants, or on the young 

 leaves, keeping her wings displayed, but flicking them occasionally 

 up and down, though not doing this so much as Aylati urticae is 

 accustomed to do. On that day I was onby fortunate enough to see 

 one egg laid, but next morning, on April 1st, another beautiful day, I 

 had better luck, for I saw four more eggs laid and found another. 

 The leaf chosen for the purpose of laying the egg on is invariably 

 situated in the full rays of the sun ; the butterfly alighting on it, or 

 on the shoot, head upwards, and so that the sun shines on her out- 

 spread wings. She lays in such an unobtrusive manner that one is 

 never sure she has done so until the leaf she settled on has been 

 examined. Unlike other butterflies that I have observed, the female 

 of this species does not close her wings above her back when in the 

 act of laying, but does so with wings opened out and almost flat, 

 only raising them slightly at the very moment the abdomen is 

 depressed to deposit the ovum. All the ova were laid singly ; four on 

 the upperside of opened leaves, quite close to the edge and away from 

 the stalk, the other two being attached to veins on the underside and 

 in the middle of folded young leaves. The butterfly will often 

 investigate many parts of a bush, always on the sunny side, or even 

 several bushes, before making up her mind where to lay ; sometimes 

 even flying off again to a wall, or the ground, without ovipositing at 

 all. Although keeping well to the garden, she often flew off into the 

 fields or orchard. It was difficult to follow her up, but I found her 

 several times flying about and settling on stinging nettles, but did not 

 see any eggs laid on that plant, though probably she laid some. At times 

 she would indulge in a long rest, settling herself in the sunlight on 

 the side of a wall, or garden stake, or on ivy growing on a wall, with 

 her head downwards, and with wings closed above her back. Thus 

 she would remain, nearly motionless, for several minutes at a stretch. 



June 15th, 1907. 



