138 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



the bays that here and there open into the woods that top the Kentish 

 chalk-hills, or edge the deep chalk hollows and pits, might be considered 

 a sluggish insect, and here, in early June, they may sometimes be seen in 

 great numbers, walking in a stately fashion up and down the culms, 

 folding back their wings to catch the sun, or fluttering gnat-like low 

 down among the grass as they change position en masse, but settling 

 again almost in the same spot. Here, too, at sunset, they may often 

 be observed in numbers at rest on the grass stems, where they have 

 taken up their resting-quarters for the night. But, after the species 

 has been on the wing for some time, and they have ceased to congre- 

 gate in this manner, their movements become much more active, and, 

 when flying rapidly, their small size and dark colour make them some- 

 what difficult to follow, e.g., in the Val Roseg, on August 14th, 1907, 

 some imagines were noticed on the marshy spots near the entrance of 

 the valley, and one, observed flying by the side of a narrow ditch, 

 presented a very dark appearance, looking much larger than it really 

 was. All the while it continued flying in a line it was not difficult to 

 follow its rather twinkling wing-movement, but, doubling back quickly, 

 it was immediately lost to sight, although a minute or so afterwards it 

 reappeared again, following the same course as before. Two examples 

 paired were observed resting on a grass-culm on one of the flowery 

 banks in the same valley ; being disturbed, the $ , in poor and wasted 

 condition, immediately took to flight, carrying the ? which had 

 evidently only just recently emerged. Placed in a box, however, they 

 very soon separated. Another pair was taken in cop., on the Albula 

 Pass, on the afternoon of August 19th, 1907 ; they were then resting 

 on a grass culm, the $ above the $ ; when disturbed, the $ alone 

 took to flight, the ? hanging suspended, thus following what is 

 apparently the habit common to all the " blues," if disturbed when 

 paired ; in this case, also, the $ was in poor condition, and its wings 

 frayed, the £ perfect ; they remained paired until after 9 p.m. (but 

 were separated next morning), and the $ died a few hours afterwards. 

 Here, above Preda, on the afternoon of August 18th, 1907, the species 

 was observed flying somewhat freely by the roadside near the Weissen- 

 stein Inn, among its foodplant, the specimens sunning themselves on 

 leaves and flowers, turning their backs to the sun, and opening their wings, 

 but resting sometimes head downward, at others with the head upwards, 

 in fact at any angle, so long as the sun shone on the partly-expanded 

 wings ; the latter seem to be kept continually on the move. The 

 butterflies appeared to prefer to rest on the leaves of coltsfoot, the yellow 

 flowers of Anthyllis, or on those of a small Campanula : sometimes one 

 chose the ground on which to sun itself. The flight of the species, as 

 already noted, is sometimes rapid, considering its small size, and its 

 colour makes it difficult to follow. An especially large $ was observed 

 flying rapidly across the road on the Albula, on August 19th; so large 

 was it, and so grey its appearance, that, for the moment, it was 

 supposed to be Coenonjimpha satj/rion, but closer examination proved it 

 to be a^ of this species, in excellent condition. Others were observed 

 on flowers of Anthyllis, and one on the capitulum of a daisy. The species 

 stands at rest with its wings thrown well up, its front wings forward, 

 the spots on the underside of the forcwings in a direct line with those of 

 the hind wings, the antenna 1 , as is usual with the "blues," thrown well 

 forward, and separated at rather less than a right angle. When, however, 



