So 



on which power, the plan of taking males called " senihling " is founded. And whe- 

 ther or not, the explanation of the phenomenon would not answer in this instance, 

 where both sexes are winged." — p. 204. 



The propensity of butterflies to settle on moist or muddy places in 

 woods &c., has been noticed by Harris, Haworth, Doubleday and 

 others. The same fact has been observed by Mr. Gosse, who records 

 his observations in the following words : the notice of the Pentatoma 

 preying on larvse is perhaps foreign to the subject, but still is a me- 

 morandum worthy of preservation. 



" C. — Look ! what a congregation of butterflies on that little muddy spot ! and all 

 of one species, the clouded sulphur (Colias Philodice). I should think there are near 

 twenty within a square foot. F. — This species is very fond of assembling in such 

 places to assuage thirst, but other butterflies have the same habit. I once saw fifteen 

 of the tiger swallow-tail (Papilio Turnus) in a space not exceeding a foot square; and 

 my brother soon after counted fifty -two of the same fine species together ; besides ma- 

 ny more which were hovering about the spot, on the wing. See ; here is an in- 

 stance of tyranny and rapine, though on a small scale. A large flat bug (Pentatoma) 

 has caught an unfortunate caterpillar, and plunged his sucker or rostrum into its bo- 

 dy; this rostrum is usually bent up under the breast; but now it is extended straight 

 from the head, holding the caterpillar at the end of it. Observe how fiercely he holds 

 on, and won't let me take it away from him. All the bug tribe are carnivorous, and 

 live by sucking the juices of other insects, and sometimes of larger animals. I have 

 succeeded in rearing plant-bugs to the perfect state, by supplying them with house- 

 flies, which I maimed and threw into the box." — p. 223. 



At page 231 Mr. Gosse notices the capture of Pteronarcys regalis ; 

 he seems to have been struck with its remarkable size, and gives an 

 accurate and elegant figure of the insect, clearly exhibiting the com- 

 plicated reticulations of the wings, which induced me to separate it as 

 a genus from the Perla of Geoffrey : he also records the capture of 

 my cognate species Pteronarcys Proteus. 



A passage occurs at page 246, which will forcibly remind the reader 

 of Haworth's spirited description of the pugnacious propensities of our 

 Purple Emperor. Haworth assigns to his monarch of the woods the 

 topmost branch of some lofty oak, while Mr. Gosse's species, of a less 

 aspiring nature, contents himself with taking up his station at its foot. 

 Speaking of the pearly-eye (Hipparchia Andromacha) Mr. Gosse ob- 

 serves — 



" It is indeed a rarity. Say, if I mistake not, mentions it as being confined to the 

 Southern States ; and I have seen it in abundance there, but never have heard of its 

 being found here before. In the south, I have known one frequent the foot of a par- 

 ticular tree for many days ; whence he would sally out on any other passing butterfly, 

 either of his own or of another species, and after sundry circumvolutions, retire to his 



