138 THE entomologist's record. 



one was seated on a flower-head, its wings spread horizontally but 

 drawn back, and turned so as to get a maximum of the sun's w^armtb : 

 almost all the larger butterflies of the banks were there, and almost all were 

 resting in the same manner — Paniassiiis oi'Ollo, Melanarfjia (/alathea, 

 Erebia aethio/is, Melitaea (lidi/iiio, M. athalia, Hendes virgaurfae, a smgle 

 worn ? Cliii/xoplianiiif hippothne, Aiuiynms ai/laia, A. niohe, and many 

 others. The blues, however, sat bolt upright, the wings face to face, 

 the forewings well forward, and somewhat conspicuous, at least 

 J.ycaena avion a,nA Atpiatles con/don were so. Authrocera ochsenheimeri, 

 A. tramolpina, A. carniolica and A.purpiiralis looked as fresh as if just 

 emerged, whilst Adopaea fiara and the first Urhicola comma were on 

 the wing. Where do butterflies hide in wet weather so safely ? For 

 some 40 hours the rain had come down continuously, and yet, within 

 an hour, the whole of the butterfly fauna of the bankside were sunning, 

 and in as fine condition as if there were no such thing as " weather." 

 The interesting item of the afternoon, however, was a chance observa- 

 tion. A level flat, set back from the road, covered with a number of 

 low flowering plants — yarrow, knapweed, Lotus, bugloss. Euphorbia, 

 and Hieracia — was the scene of the gambols of a number of little 

 gnat-like sprites that flew up and down in the afternoon sun, 

 rarely resting on the blossoms, and that continued their dancing as 

 soon as they had rested. One sweep of the net brought in almost a 

 dozen of the males of the beautiful Nexiotois dtinierilielliiti, Dup., with 

 purple apices to its forewings, green bases and golden fascia, and 

 purplish-grey hindwings, the first time I had ever seen this lovely 

 species so exceptionally active. 



Some notes on Brenthis amathusia, Esp. 



By M. GILLMER. 



The female of BrentJtis amathusia lays her large grey eggs on Violo 

 silvatica, mostly hidden on dry stalks and leaves near the ground, but 

 sometimes placed even on the ground itself. The upper- or underside 

 of green leaves are rarely chosen on which to lay even a single egg. 

 The larvte hatch nine or ten days after the eggs are laid, and immedi- 

 ately search out a good hybernating place, e.ij., a dry rolled-up leaf, etc. 

 They do not feed at all, but become lethargic, as soon as they have 

 settled in their hybernacula. 



This is the customary habit of the larva, and it seems to be founded 

 on an ancient and inherent habit, yet it is possible for this habit to be 

 broken through. If, when the first shoots of potted violet {Viola 

 silvatica) have developed somewhat, the plants be put into a cold place 

 till the end of June, and then be incited to make further growth under 

 the influence of a high tempei'ature, the newly-hatched larvfe of 

 H. a)iiat/iiisia will occasionally attack the young tender leaves of the 

 plant, and may be reared to a length of one centimetre. Yet, no one 

 appears to have ever succeeded in hybernating larvae that have thus 

 commenced to feed ; evidently other conditions are not favourable to 

 successful hybernation at this stage. 



It seems that, in their early stadia, the larvae of the Argynnids need 

 absolutely young leaves of their foodplant, even in the case of those 

 species which are double-brooded {e.;/., Brenthis selene, B. euplirosync, 

 B. (lia): , The larv;e n-sulting from the .eggs of the first brood still 



