BUTTERFLY RAILWAY BANKS 



cream-yellow jacket of this wood tiger serve the 

 double purpose of pleasing the lady and warning off 

 the enemy what a wealth of ingenious resource is 

 stored in that pair of upper wings ! Flight, court- 

 ship, protection, all in so small a space this would 

 imply an even finer bit of work than the ordinary 

 theory of the evolutionist that the bright upper side 

 of many a butterfly's wing is to please the mate he 

 seeks, whilst the inconspicuous under sides of the 

 wing, chiefly exposed during rest and sleep, are to 

 secrete him from enemies. 



The small heath butterfly I found a more con- 

 stant percher and rester on grass heads in the sun 

 than the blues or the skippers. The dingy skipper, 

 whilst perched for a few moments on a flower or 

 grass in the sun, keeps opening and shutting his 

 chequered wings as if for display. But the small 

 heath, on perching, will often fold its wings verti- 

 cally over its body. Only the under sides of the 

 wings can then be seen. Do they by harmonizing 

 with environment screen him from the eye of a 

 possible enemy? I think not. The small heath 

 thus resting during the daytime is noticeable. The 

 brown of a part of the upper sides of the upper 

 wings shows plainly through. It is almost orange 

 in the sun. The black eye near the tip of the upper 

 wing is also noticeable. But Mr. Frohawk, a highly- 

 trained observer of moth and butterfly, has drawn a 

 little picture of this small heath as it appears at 

 bedtime. Then, strange to say, the brown stain is 

 unnoticeable ; the upper wings are so thrust back 



133 



