202 THE entomologist's record. 



brood, althoiigh it often happens that the progeny of those that attempt 

 it is exterminated, and Nature is careful that in every brood, however 

 hot the summer, a certain percentage shall hybernate. So fixed is this 

 habit that there are often three broods of J '<ili/ii<iiii(( r-albuin and A(/lais 

 Kiiirai' in a year, yet a part of each of these broods goes at once into 

 hybernation (the first often as early as June). Pi/raiiicis ranlui, which, 

 probably, cannot hybernate in the imago state in Britain, is killed off 

 after each of its immigrations. 



Scudder records that " in some instances, some of the chrysalids 

 which should produce the autumn brood, do not give out the butterfly 

 until the following spring." We have never heard and cannot believe 

 that this is the case in a state of nature for any of the butterflies that 

 naturally hybernate in the imago state. Scudder further says that, 

 " According to Wiesenhiitter, such chrysalids of Kurancs.^a antiopa as 

 pass the winter are presumably females, inasmuch as the female, 

 according to his observation, is generally fresh-coloured in the spring, 

 whereas the males are always very much battered and worn." We 

 are astonished at Scudder quoting such an illogical paragraph, and if 

 the only reason that Wiesenhiitter had for assuming that some chry- 

 salides of E. antiopa went over the winter, was the fresh appearance 

 of some of the females in the spring, we should beg leave to doubt the 

 fact that in nature E. antiopa ever passed the winter in the pupal 

 stage. We do not think it possible. 



It is pretty certain that, in the case of all these wintering butterflies, 

 pairing always takes place in the spring, and we believe that, in 

 all cases where precocious specimens pair before hybernating, the 

 female lays her eggs, attempts to rear another brood, and dies, the 

 progeny usually being exterminated. 



Very little is known as to where butterflies hybernate. The mar- 

 vellous resemblance of (roneptcri/.r rJiamni to a dead leaf suggests that 

 it hybernates among the leaves upon the ground. Landois saw 

 Vanenna io take up its winter quarters in an ivy bush, hanging from a 

 branch, and remain unmoved until a spell of warm weather in early 

 spring caused it to disappear. Goossens, of Paris, records having 

 twice brought down Polij;/unia c-album, when beating small trees in 

 November, and on these he made some interesting observations, 

 bringing them home and placing one in an unwarmed apartment, and 

 the other in the open air on the north-east side of a window. They 

 did not stir until February, when they resumed their activity. " The 

 one in the open air had experienced a temperature of at least -5'-'C., 

 and Goossens discovered that numbness only comes on at -2'^C., for 

 when it was warmer their position showed that they appreciated the 

 difference between day and night. At such a time the hind-wings are 

 kept motionless, but in the day time the fore-wings are advanced, so 

 that the inner margin is at right angles to the body ; at dusk, the 

 fore-wings creep backward and finally pass behind the hind-wings, 

 nearly filling the empty space between the two wings in this genus, 

 due to their great excision. The process is again reversed in the 

 morning, showing that the butterflies are not completely benumbed, 

 and, however quiet, recognise the distinction between night and day." 



Scudder gives an observation of his own, which he made on a 

 specimen of Kvrancssa antiopa, which, one November day, flew into his 

 cellar, "and took up its position on oijc of the risers of the stairway, 



