410 THE BUTTERFLIES OF XEW EXGLAXD. 



^Ir. Lintner, writing- of tlii--? butterfly, savs : — 



An interesting peculiarity of tliis species — not observed by nie in any otlier dinr- 

 nals* and not to tlie same extent among tlie nocturnals — is its habit of counterfeiting 

 death. When newly emerged, -witliin the breeding cage, it may be taken between the 

 lingers without the sliglitest show of resistance ; at the fii-st touch it folds up its legs 

 and becomes seemingly inanimate. Ileleased from the hand, it drops upon its side 

 and will even allow itself to be tossed from side to side without attempting flight. If 

 left nndisturbed for a short time, it slowly raises itself and simply resumes its up- 

 right position. 



When at rest the wings are sometimes tightly closed, the costal edge of 

 the hind wings reaching the lower median interspace of the fore wings ; or 

 more often, especially when in the sun, they are expanded horizontally, 

 the inner margin of the fore wings reaching the lower subcostal nervule 

 of the hind wings ; in the former case, at least, the body is raised anteri- 

 orly "on tip toe" at an angle of about 3()°-35°, the anal angle of the hind 

 wino's resting upon the ground ; the straight antennae are raised still 

 hio-hcr, at an angle of 50°-60° with the body and are si)rcad at an angle 

 of 30°-o5°. One chilly morning a butterfly was observed apparently par- 

 tially benumljcd with cold, walking with its antennae thrust horizontally 

 forward, slowly and slightly raising and lowering its wings. 



Miscellaneous. The resemblance to this butterfly of Elymnias siug- 

 hala Moore of C'eylon is very singular and would reasonably be looked on 

 as a case of genuine mimicry did the two occur in the same region. 



E. antiopa is said to make a slight rustling noise with its wings and 

 the same is stated of other butterflies closely allied to it. Rev. J. Green 

 states (Proc. ent. soc. Lond., Feb., 1883) that he found hibernating 

 specimens of Inachis io moderately active and making a slight hissing- 

 sound on being disturbed, at the same time slowly depressing and elevat- 

 ino- the wings, giving the impression that this movement was the cause of 

 the noise ; the sound was similar to that produced by blowing slowly with 

 moderate force through the closed teeth. AVe have elsewhere endeavored 

 to show to what the sound is due, — probably to the character of the scales 

 where the wings overlap. 



Here are the comments of a careful ol^server of nature, who, however 

 carefully he noted the movements of higher beasts or the habits of plants, 

 has left us scarcely another trace of his being attracted by insects : — 



March 2S, 1S57. At Lee's Cliff and this side, I see half a dozen buft-edged l)utter- 

 flies, Vanessa antiopa, and pick up three dead or dying — two together, tlie edges of 

 their wings gone. Sevei-al are fluttering over the dry rock dehrix under the clift", in 

 whose crevices probal)ly tliey have wintered. Two of the three I pick up are not 

 dead, though they will not fly. Verily their day is a short one. What has checked 

 their frail life? Witliin the butt-edge, is black, with briglit sky-blue spots. Those 

 little ol)long spots on the black ground are light as you look directly down on them, 



*r have noticed exactly tlie same thing in Polygonia faunns and in a p:uropean i^pecios 

 this species, as well as in Polygonia progne, of Brenthis. 



