XYMI'IIALIXAK: KU VANESSA A\'l lOPA. 409 



half opou it was put away ayaiii. On March II, a warm, olondy day, I tf)ok it on iny 

 finj^er to an open window. . . . 'Die sun suthleiUy shonc' out. and tlio next moment it 

 Avas jiionc. ... I found it four days after in a suuar r-uiup. . . I rccoi-iii/ed it at once by 

 a J)ad IxMid in the tip of tlie wini^s. 



Mrs. II. P. Nicliol.s iniule tlic attempt to ket'p one in an occnpicd room 

 In l>().stt)n. 



AViion I lii'st liad it. ol)servin,i;- yrapes suited its pahito, I saved a few for a j^ood 

 \\liilc. .Vftcr a time 1 tliought my bntterfly l)elmved as if intoxicated, tumbling down 

 under the Mower stand and gi-eatly resembling tiie noble creature man under similar 

 circumstances. It then occurred to me that the grapes had fermented, wliicli 1 found 

 to be tiie fact. Breakfasting on sugar and water it beiiaved like any well-conditioned 

 butterrty. I)ut a repetition of t!u> grapes ])rougIit about the same rosults. As it sits 

 upon my linger preparing to fly it nnikes a loud, lunnming sound wliile vibrating its 

 wings. When the sun is briglit and the room warm, it deliglits in flying about the 

 upper part of the room. It folds its antennae on a line with the upper Aving when 

 asleep, and is as ditllcult to Avaken until it has had its nap out. as any sleepy school- 

 boy. I tliink it knoAvs me, for it is ahvays ready to craAvl upon my finger, from its 

 Avarmth. perhaps, and seems to particularly enjoy resting on the palm of my Iiantl. 



Whether Mrs. Nichols carried the butterfly quite throuuh the winter, I 

 do not noAv recall. 



Flight and habits of the butterfly. Its flight is stronq; and nimble ; 

 I ofice observed a specimen late in February i'vom tlie deck of a vessel oflF 

 Lookout Shoals, N. C, full twenty miles from land ; it mu.st have already 

 braved the perils of hibernation ; but though evening Avas fast closino- in, 

 it so;mi disappeared, pursuing its venturesome flight, undaunted still. It 

 makes two or three light flutters in quick succession, then sails a short 

 distance in an irregular and broken course ; beats its Avings again and thus 

 pursues its AA^ay. It loves to return to a place whence it has rtoAvn, flyino- 

 and sailing easily round and round in gradually narroAving and descendino- 

 circles from a height of five or ten feet and finally settling upon the iden- 

 tical spot it had quitted, even Avhen there is no apparent cause for attrac- 

 tion. A\'hen two friends meet, they soar aloft rapidly to a great height, 

 alternately meeting and retreating. The butterfly often alights on the 

 ground, Avrites Dr. C. S. Minot, broadside to the Avind and alloAvs itself 

 to be blown over. 



Mr. J. (t. Jack once observed several .specimens "hovering over 

 bushes of choke cherry, the leaves of wliicli were much infested Avith 

 aphides. The butterfly Avoidd alight on the curled leaves containing the 

 aphides and extending its tongue, insert it among them, and when engaged 

 drinking the sweets furnished by the aphides, it could readily be taken with 

 the hand." 



]Mr. Saunders catalogues this butterfly as one AA'liieh was attracted by 

 night to the electric light in London, Out., but he adds that he "did not 

 see it in m )tion ; it w.is in ratliera sleepy condition, and may possibly have 

 flown there by daylight;" but Mr. Ileiuy KdAvards has also observed it 

 at the electric licdit in Xcav York. 



