226 LEPIDOPTERA. 



food (Aira ccespifosa), feeding both by night and day until an 

 inch in length, after which it only fed at night, remaining all 

 day at rest, head downwards, on the lower parts of the stems 

 of the grass and in comparative darkness, but it never showed 

 any disposition to burrow in the earth which was supplied 

 for the purpose until it was quite full-fed in the middle of 

 June." But in the meantime, in May, Mr. Buckler chanced 

 to dig up another larva of this species from a waste piece of 

 sandy ground among Aim ]jra:rox and other small grasses, 

 and this larva, when placed under a glass in a pot with its 

 native growing food, immediately burrowed into the sandy 

 earth, and was never seen upon the grass except at night, 

 yet each morning brought evidence of its doing well, by the 

 diminished grass. Both burrowed when full-fed, and assumed 

 the pupa state under ground. 



Pupa obtuse, rounded, tumid, and smooth, with the abdo- 

 minal rings hardly distinguishable, and wholly of a deep red 

 mahogany colour. In a hollow space a quarter of an inch 

 below the surface of the earth, the particles of sand and 

 earth very slightly cohering together, close to the roots of 

 the grass, although free from them. (Buckler.) Thus it 

 approaches in an extraordinary manner, in appearance and 

 habit, to the pupa of a moth. 



This butterfly is particularly abundant on chalk hills, fond 

 of stony hill-sides, wide heaths, sea-cliffs, and sand-hills on 

 the coast. Its flight is swift when disturbed, yet it quickly 

 and suddenly settles again on some rock, stone, or especially 

 a bare spot on the earth, instantly closing its wings, drawing 

 down the fore within the hind wings, and becoming practi- 

 cally invisible. It is most curious and perplexing to clearly 

 see it drop down upon a small bai-e spot, and then on 

 creeping up within three or four yards to be often utterly 

 unable to see it, and to remain so until it starts up to fly 

 away, or, in rare instances, betrays itself by walking forward 

 a short distance. It even seems to lie down sideways, or at 



