THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
Vou. XIL] JANUARY, 1879. [No. 188. 
HYBERNATION OF BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 
By Epwarp A. Fircu. 
AxsouT a month ago I received a note from Miss R. M. Sotheby 
enquiring how Satyrus Egeria passed the winter. Not having bred 
the species, but believing that all our British Satyride hyber- 
nated in the larval state, I answered accordingly. However, this 
was followed by the information that one S. Egeria was already a 
pupa (Entom. xi., 251), and two more have since turned. This, 
together with the uncertainty regarding that most uncertain 
species, Colias Hdusa, led me to consult what authorities I have at 
hand as to thé hybernation of our British species of Diurni. 
The result of the enquiry may, I think, be interesting to many 
readers of the ‘Entomologist,’ and the perusal of the list will, I 
hope, lead to further information. I say this because uncertainty 
still surrounds the state of hybernation of four of our very 
commonest butterflies, viz., Satyrus Megera, Chortobius Pam- 
philus, Polyommatus Phleas, and Lycena Alexis. 
Apropos of C. Hdusa, I may say that, although I have this 
year 109 acres of clovers, trefoils, and lucerne on my farm, this 
errant species has altogether failed to put in an appearance, 
much to my disappointment. What can have become of it ? 
The hybernation of a species is strictly constant. We know 
that from locality, climate, or other cause, a species may have one, 
two, three, or perhaps more broods in the year; still it always 
passes the winter in the same state. In other cases we may 
have what may be called premature broods or individuals. By 
these I mean the abnormally early maturity of some specimens ; 
for instance, a certain larva, even from the same batch of eggs, 
will occasionally feed away from its brethren, and appear as 
B 
