NYMPHALID^. 201 



see the food. When the sun happeos to be shut in by clouds 

 they stand still, and, though eating very greedily, they will 

 suddenly cease ; but on the return of the sunbeams they run 

 nimbly over the top of the grass, and descend into every 

 vacancy they can find in the grass in search of this food. 

 Nor did I ever find above two at one root, although the field 

 appeared to be covered with the caterpillars." 



"The preparation that they make for the preservation of 

 their chrysalides is much to be admired. When one is ready 

 for his transformation his first business is to draw several 

 pieces of blades of grass across each other toward the top. 

 These he fastens together with his web, and then beneath 

 the centre, where the blades of grass intersect each other, he 

 hangs himself pendulous by the tail and' changes to a chrysalis. 

 Thus they are securely hidden and defended from damage in 

 boisterous or windy weather, for whichever way the grass is 

 drawn, from every side one of the blades acts as a stay. It 

 is remarkable that neither fly nor caterpillar will stray from 

 the field in which they were bred, and though I have seen 

 thousands in the field, yet I could never find one in the 

 meadows adjoining. In September the caterpillars may be 

 seen in great abundance. They keep together under the 

 cover of a fine web, which they spin to defend themselves 

 from the inclemency of the weather, and under the protection 

 of this they pass the winter months." 



A local species, though veiy widely distributed. Fond of 

 damp meadows, and especially of those damper hollows which 

 are clothed with rank herbage from the constant percolation 

 of moisture into them — the places, in fact, in which Scahiosa 

 succisa grows — also in damp spots at the edges of woods and 

 in narrow valleys between the spurs of hills, or hollows in the 

 sides of the hills. Usually in considerable numbers where 

 found, but not by any means to be met with in every 

 locality which looks suitable. Will even fly at times singly 

 along roads or over the country in hot sunshine, perhaps 

 seeking for a fresh location, as when I found one on the clifls 



