208 THK ENTOMOLOGIST. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. 



Note on the Meadow-brown (Satyrus janira). — This 

 species having been extremely common here during tlie 

 whole of July — four or five limes more plentiful than the 

 " whites," taken collectively, at least in the earlier part of the 

 month — I have observed a few points in its habits, which 

 may be worth putting on record. It visits, as far as I have 

 seen, exclusively hedgerow-flowers, such as the blackberry 

 blossom, the wild roses (as long as they remained), the 

 thistles, the privet, and a white umbelliferous flower very 

 abundant along the hedges in this district. I have repeatedly 

 observed one and the same specimen fly from a blackberry 

 flower to a thistle, or vice versa ; but I never saw one of them 

 visit red and white clover, even after sitting on the ground 

 close to the plants. I have watched one fly across the corner 

 of a potato field and repeatedly settle upon the leaves, but it 

 never visited one of the flowers. This insect has some pro- 

 tective habits : when sitting upon a flower, or on the ground, 

 with its wings closed, the under side of the anterior pair 

 would be very conspicuous, on account of the eye-spot at the 

 outer angle; it therefore very frequently lowers the anterior 

 wings, so that they disappear between the posterior pair, and 

 in this attitude it may well be taken, by man or bird, for a 

 discoloured leaf; when sitting u))on the ground, also, it very 

 generally leans on one side, so that its closed and erected 

 wings, instead of standing at right angles to the ground or 

 other surface, "heel over" at a very acute angle. In this 

 position the insect's resemblance to a withered leaf is much 

 increased. I have seen other butterflies assume this attitude, 

 but none so generally. As might be expected the meadow- 

 brown is very bold, hovering round, and even settling upon, 

 persons who walk leisurely through its haunts; so it may 

 easily be captured with the finger and thumb when at rest 

 upon a leaf. Like most of its congeners it appears early in 

 the morning, retires comparatively late in the evening, and is 

 less apt to vanish on the approach of heavy clouds than the 

 members of the genus Vanessa, it may be counted among 

 the many species which will settle upon dung, recent or 

 decayed, and imbibe its juices. — J. W. Slater; 3, Bicester 

 Road, Aylesbury. 



Note on Argynnis Paphia. — On August 7lh, in an 

 enclosure in the New Forest, Argynnis Paphia was in 

 abundance, but good specimens were hard to find, being so 



