FIELD NOTES ON SOME ENGLISH BUTTERFLIES 239 



come upon a broad strip of rough which to place an egg or two. Later 

 sloping ground with a tall thick hedge on both sexes will have retired to their 

 separating it from the downs proper, sleeping quarters, the males on the 

 Here are butterflies in abundance, but flower stems of grass or other plants, 

 the majority of them are white or and the females frequently in a more 

 creamy white, with blackish markings, lowly position. This habit, which is 

 These are the marbled whites, and it common to all kinds of blue butter- 

 will be noted that our presence in their flies, as well as the small coppers and 

 midst does not greatly alarm them. As some others, is very convenient to the 

 we approach they take wing, but only entomologist, as it enables him to 

 to flap lazily away a short distance, examine large numbers without much 

 If there happens to be a strong trouble to himself or injury to the 

 breeze they may be wafted in the insect. 



direction of the cornfields, but they The exceedingly nimble little yel- 



will return to their headquarters ere lowish butterfly that we have seen so 



long. Here, too, we shall probably see frequently, but which has eluded close 



a few specimens of the chalk hill inspection, so far, is the silver-spotted 



blue; but as we ascend the down on skipper. There is one on that flower- 



the other side of the hedge these butter- head of the low-growing thistle. As 



flies will be more in evidence. The is usual when these butterflies settle 



males are blue, but the females are the wings are closed, and only the 



brown and less active on the wing undersides of them can be seen, but 



than the males, and have important these show the silvery markings which 



maternal duties to attend to, so that are the characters by which this butter- 



they are more often observed crawling fly can very easily be distinguished 



about among the herbage seeking a from any other of the eight kinds of 



suitable stem here, or a leaf there, upon skippers found in this country. 



