242 LEPIDOPTERA. 



Professor Poulton states that it is particularly attractive to 

 birds, and points out that its shape when at rest, and colour, 

 harmonise in a wonderful manner with faded fallen leaves, 

 even to. the extent of its having upon its wings what appear 

 like small dots of white fungus. At night, during the 

 autumn, it will come freely to sugar daubed upon trees, 

 also to ivy-bloom and even ripe blackberries ; and in spring 

 occasionally to sallow-bloom, though much more readily to 

 sugar. Its flight is soft and gentle, but it is rarely captured 

 on the wing. I have found it at night in late summer 

 sitting upon leaves of reed, in great masses of this plant in 

 the fens, with other JYoduce, but the object of these assem- 

 blages never transpired. It has the curious habit of passing 

 the winter, if possible, in buildings, or, at any rate, under 

 masonry; and there is a record of the finding of eight 

 individuals sitting quietly for hybernation on the inside 

 of a church bell, undisturbed by its frequent ringing ! The 

 more usual resort, however, is the roof of an archway or cellar, 

 or of some outbuilding or disused store, always, or nearly 

 always, preferring the ceiling or roof. I had once (in 1865) 

 an excellent opportunity of observing the hybernation of this 

 insect, along with Vanessa urticw and other species. The 

 retreat was eminently suitable, a weather-proof and ceiled 

 building without windows, and the shutters not too closely 

 applied to the window-frames. Here, on August 21st, the 

 first G. libatrix took up its station ; within the following 

 fortnight four more had settled down, and one of them had 

 actually stationed itself upon the side of the wings and 

 body of a similarly hybernating Vanessa in such a manner 

 that the deeply indented hind margin of the moth showed 

 itself beyond that of the butterfly, giving the latter a very 

 odd appearance. This individual in a few days moved back 

 to the ceiling, and was joined by others, so that I found early 

 in October twent} T -seven individuals of the present species in 

 that .building, the weather up to this time having been quite 

 exceptionally hot and sunny. Indeed, this was the finest 



