212 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



indebted to Mr. Herbert Campion) refer to something which has 

 immaculate neuration, and Mr. Campion, who has also very 

 kindly examined Stephens's supposed types in the British 

 Museum, is of opinion that the elegans and marshami of Stephens 

 are conspecific with striatellus. If there has been no confusion 

 about Stephens's types, a change in the nomenclature here used 

 will be inevitable. I leave the matter as it is in the meantime, 

 pending further inquiries. I confess that it is a little puzzling 

 that McLachlan should have failed to notice the immaculate 

 condition of the neuration of elegans and marshami when he 

 examined them in 1868, and that he should have distinctly 

 stated that there existed in elegans an important character at 

 variance with Stephens's diagnosis and with his type of elegans. 

 If S. striatellus prove to be the true elegans of Stephens, Rambur's 

 name pygmcsus will require to receive consideration in connection 

 with the smaller species. 



The wing figures here given are both from female examples, 

 and, as is usual in these insects, the markings are more pro- 

 nounced than in the average males. A number of closely allied 

 forms have been described by Father Navas from Spain and 

 elsewhere. Of two of these the author has generously given me 

 examples, S. conspersus and S. venosus, and although they 

 present a certain amount of difference, especially in the coloration 

 of the body, I am not prepared to say that they are more than 

 varieties of what is here called S. elegans. A much more 

 exhaustive examination of all the forms, especially with regard 

 to the structure of the genitalia, is required before a proper 

 valuation of these is possible. 



Explanation of Plate V. — 1. Wings of Boriomyia subnebulosus 

 (nat. length of fore wing, 9 mm.). 2. Wings of Sympherobius striatellus 

 (nat. length of fore wing, 5 mm.). 3. Wings of S. elegans (nat. length of 

 fore wing about 4 mm.). 



13, Blackford Road, Edinburgh : May, 1914. 



THE SLEEPING ATTITUDE OF LYC^ENIDiE. 



By F. W. Frohawk, M.B.O.U., F.E.S. 



It is generally supposed that the Lycaenidae sleep throughout 

 the night, sitting head downwards on the flower-heads and stems 

 of grasses and other plants, in the characteristic attitude they 

 assume during evening and twilight. But later, when darkness 

 supersedes, these butterflies (L. icariis) turn round and sleep 

 head upwards. I am indebted to Mr. W. Holland for kindly 

 calling my attention to this interesting fact. In a letter recently 

 received from him, he alludes to marking down groups of 

 L. icarus at rest on marram grass in the evening, and states 



