some Rest-attitudes of Butterflies. 99 
My last observation was made on an xgeria 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 moral 
character. What entomologist who has sugared regularly 
in the same place has not observed among common Noctux 
some individuals bolder and greedier than others ? 
I often saw meone settle on sandy roads, rocks, or walls, 
but the #xgeria 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 Pararge megera, L., 
which was especially interesting to me as nearly allied to 
P. shakra, Koll., 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 Potentilla tormentilla, Sibth., at 
right angles to the sun, but afterwards on Scilla nutans, 
Sm., correctly oriented. Yet two other megwra 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 20, 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. Lond., 1905, p. 67. 
