some Best-attitudes of Biittcrjlics. 99 



My last observation was made on an iT.geria within a few 

 yards of my study window; this I disturbed many times 

 with a view to noting its behaviour; out of seventeen 

 occasions it oriented itself correctly but five times, it faced 

 the sun once, but placed itself at right angles to its rays 

 no less than eleven times ! 



The unusual behaviour of this butterfly gives strong 

 proof that individual flies may differ much in behaviour, 

 and as I should be disposed to describe it, in moi'al 

 character. What entomologist who has sugared regularly 

 in the same place has not observed among common Noctuse 

 some individuals bolder and greedier than others ? 



I often saw mcone settle on sandy roads, rocks, or walls, 

 but the R'(jeria here referred to were for the most part 

 settled on leaves, and the question of protection by economy 

 of shadow could scarcely arise in their case. 



The next subject of observation was Fararge mcgiera, L., 

 which was especially interesting to me as nearly allied to 

 P. sltahra, KoU., the common Himalayan butterfly in 

 which I first noted heliotropism in October 1903.* The 

 spring brood was not so numerous as the summer brood 

 usually is, and only ten specimens were noted settled. Of 

 these the first, a female, was watched on a Devonshire 

 " dry ditch," settling for the most part on the rough slates 

 of which it was built, that is to say, on surfaces not always 

 well adapted for precise orientation. It was however 

 observed to settle several times with its tail to the sun, 

 and on one of these occasions it raised its wings over its 

 back so that its shadow was scarcely visible, but two or 

 three times it settled at right angles to the sun. Six other 

 specimens were observed with their wings open, settled for 

 the most part on flat ground, and all correctly oriented 

 (one observed twice). Another specimen was first seen 

 settled on the flowers of PutcntiUci tormentilla, Sibtli., at 

 right angles to the sun, but afterwards on Scilla nutans, 

 Sm., correctly oriented. Yet two other mcgaira were seen 

 settled, one on the road, the other on a flat stone, both 

 with their wings closed up, correctly oriented, so as to 

 throw practically no shadow. 



During May 1905 hybernated specimens of Vanessa io, L., 



were unusually common at Mortehoe, and the attitudes of 



at least fifteen different individuals were noted on seven 



different days. Of these, eleven, or three-fourths, oriented 



* Trans. Ent. Soc. Loud., 1905, p. 67. 



