20 The Strife of March 



colours of sunshine and moonshine, range endlessly 

 up and down the sunny borders of the copses, with 

 their strong yet dancing flight. The emergence of 

 these butterflies has led to misconceptions of their 

 entire life history, especially with regard to their 

 appearances indoors at irregular intervals during 

 the winter. They hibernate in the winged or perfect 

 state, creeping into hiding in autumn much like the 

 dormouse or the hedgehog ; and the peacock and 

 both the tortoiseshells frequently choose for the 

 purpose some dark corner or cranny in a dwelling- 

 room, a church, or any other building to which 

 they can gain access. If all goes well with them, 

 they will not wake between the September day 

 when the gathering chill warns them to quit their 

 blossoms and the bright March morning when they 

 are roused by the returning sun. But in the English 

 climate a day warm enough to wake them may occur 

 at any time during their months of sleep ; and the 

 likelihood of such untimely resuscitation is much 

 increased if they have crept into any building which 

 is artificially warmed. Whenever the temperature 

 of a room to which one of these butterflies has found 

 its way in autumn is raised exceptionally high by 

 warmth from indoors or outside, it is likely to re- 

 spond to the stimulus, and to make a premature 

 reappearance. There is thus no question of its being 

 hatched at an unusually early date, as is frequently 

 supposed. If it escapes capture as a rarity or 

 freak of nature, in most cases it will find another 

 resting place as soon as it feels the temperature 

 falling around it, and may then sleep safely until 



