THE BUTTERFLY'S WATERPROOF 



One word more on the subject of small heath 

 and common blue position in sleep why do both 

 lay back their wings so that the under sides of the 

 upper are all but covered by the under sides of 

 the lower pair ? As I have said, I do not believe 

 the small heath does this to hide the conspicuous 

 brown patch and the little black eye ; the common 

 blue's top wings (under side) are not more con- 

 spicuous than the lower wings (under side), and yet 

 they are laid back almost out of sight. I suggest 

 that the wings are laid back because in this position 

 they can be pressed tighter together, and rain is not 

 at all likely then to find its way between them. Rain 

 creeping in might soon ruin the bright upper sides 

 of the butterfly's wings. 



Wood Warbler's Song-flutter 



The wood warbler is at the height of his song 

 in woods that have put on their full oak-green. 

 The bluebells in these glorious woods are in seed, 

 but what a blue is that of the speedwells and the 

 bugle-flower mingled ! Among them, in a quiet 

 glade, shady with larches, the wood warbler floods 

 the air with sound. If two or three of the birds 

 were to sing close together in such a spot in the 

 woods they would really make a din. There is 

 little or no beauty in the song for one who is not 

 near enough to watch the action of the singer. It 

 is arresting, but quite inferior in musical quality to 



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