GAD 1) 
XI. The Hybernation of Vanessa atalanta in Captivity. 
By L. W. Newman, F.E.S. 
[Read December 7th, 1910. ] 
In the autumn of 1909 I saved seven specimens of Vanessa 
atalanta to see if it were possible to hybernate them in 
England under unnatural conditions. 
I have many times tried them out of doors, also in a 
cold greenhouse, but in both cases failed, the specimens 
dying off early in the winter. 
I prepared a small cardboard box about 9 by 6 by 6 
inches deep, cut out the lid, leaving only the frame of 
cardboard, stretched mosquito netting over box and held 
this down with the cardboard frame. 
The butterflies were placed in this and the box stood by 
a window facing east, and at night removed to a warmer 
quarter of the room; there was always a fire in my room 
and also a large boiler which was warm all night, so that 
the specimens never had a lower temperature than, say, 
35 degrees even on the coldest nights. 
After two or three days they became very restless and 
evidently required food. I well soaked a good-size piece of 
absorbent cotton-wool in water and sprinkled cane sugar 
on it ; this I placed in the centre of the box on the top of 
the mosquito netting ; very soon their tongues had found 
the sweets and they were busy feeding; they walked 
about in the box, continuously opening their wings when 
the sun was shining, and about midday retired to the 
darkest corner of the box. 
Throughout the whole winter they fed regularly every 
few days, and on no day when there was any sun did they 
remain quiet, no matter how cold it was out of doors. 
The first casualty happened in December, when a 
specimen became quite paralyzed; he seemed to have 
indulged too freely in food, for his body became very much 
distended, and he lay for many hours at the bottom of the 
box with legs twitching and wings quivering before he 
died. 
In January the specimens became very tame, and it was 
my habit to let them fly about in my room on sunny 
TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1911.—PART I. (MAY) 
