A CABBAGE-WHITE SEANCE 



line, more or less regular, close by, and, whilst the 

 affair lasts, other cabbage-whites will be incessantly 

 fluttering and bobbing about a few inches above the 

 ground. These in turn may settle and fold their 

 wings, whilst the row of sitters, in their turn, may 

 be up, fluttering and bobbing about. 



It is certainly not the desire to drink which 

 draws the butterflies to one of these gatherings ; I do 

 not see how it can be the desire to feed ; the whites, 

 it is true, are considerable feeders at the present time 

 on the common. The spear thistle is in full blossom, 

 full of accessible sweetmeats ; the burnet burrs, and 

 the skippers dart, and the meadow-brown and white 

 butterflies bob and flit from flower to flower, probing 

 each with their sensitive trunks. But I have not 

 seen the trunk come into play during this seance. 

 Nor are the sitters all females, egg-laying. It may 

 be a tournament of love and gallantry, the suitors 

 displaying themselves ; but, if so, there seems to be 

 no jousting. One habit, common to various butter- 

 flies, we often note at a cabbage-white seance ; when 

 a white on the wing comes too near a sitting white 

 for comfort, the latter flutters his or her wings to 

 deter the intruder a sort of " get away, this is my 

 seat " protest. 



Wisdom under Water 



The chalk stream in late July is an alluring spot 

 when the sun is dipping behind the wooded hill. 



183 



