458 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



and August on the Kiviera; we know of no details. Menshootkin 

 notes (Ent., xxvii., p. 184) the capture of this butterfly near Louga, in 

 the Govt, of St. Petersburg, on July 12th, 1892; the first example 

 taken in the district. Further details are given antea, pp. 434-439. 



Habits. — On June 27fch, 1906, two imagines were observed in the 

 breeding-cage. The butterfly walks in a very stately manner, holding 

 its wings erect, its body well off the ground, and its legs taking a firm 

 grip of the leaf or other object on which it is moving; it has a peculiar 

 way of pulling down one of the antennas beneath one of the front legs, 

 and combing it as if cleaning it. At rest, the body is held well above 

 the resting-surface, the antennae stretched out w T ell in front, at about an 

 angle of 45° to each other, either almost horizontally or slightly elevated, 

 the wings raised at right angles to the surface on which the butterfly is 

 standing, the inner margins of the hindwings folded round the body, 

 forming, as it were, a sort of tube, in which the body rests. The 

 f orewings do not appear to be drawn down very far into the hindwings, 

 a very fair portion of the costal area of the fore wing, as well as the apex 

 and considerable outer margin, being exhibited above the costal margin 

 of the hindwing. The forewings, however, are much more completely 

 hidden when the insect is asleep (Tutt). As Mr. Main most kindly sent 

 me an imago which had emerged July 4th, 1906, 1 had three imagines, 

 two of my own pupae disclosing their imagines on July 1st and 6th 

 respectively, which unfortunately were all females. These were kept alive 

 as long as possible, in the vain hope of my being able to procure a male. 

 Mr. Main's example died July 12th, having lived eight days. The 

 other two, which fed more vigorously, lived nineteen days, dying on 

 July 19th and 25th respectively. They were fed on sugar-water by 

 means of an artist's brush. Though these three imagines were all 

 from the same source, they showed very different dispositions, one of 

 them being most docile, taking to the sugar-water readily, and 

 sucking, on most days, steadily for five minutes, never showing any 

 alarm. The second one had to be coaxed into feeding, and usually 

 would only suck the brush for about half-a-minute at a time, and 

 never seemed to be quite at ease as the first. The third one was wild, 

 and could only with difficulty be induced to take any food. They took 

 no notice of leaves or flowers that were placed in their cages, and they 

 were generally to be found resting with closed wings on the top of 

 their cages. On bright days, especially after feeding, they would 

 spread out their beautiful wings and bask in the sunshine. Usually, 

 they rested on all three pairs of legs, but occasionally they would use 

 two paii'S only, the front pair being drawn up near the body (Sich). 

 Mrs. Nicholl says (Ent. Bee, xi., p. 4) that "the insect, although not 

 so large as the extinct English type, is a lovely butterfly. In the Save 

 Marshes and around the glacis of the fortress of Slavisch Brod, it 

 darts like a living flame among the tall greyish marsh-grass, then 

 suddenly turning the grey underside of its wings towards you, it be- 

 comes almost impossible to mark its flight, till, with another turn, the 

 fiery copper again flashes in the sunshine and tempts the reckless 

 pursuer to flounder deeper and yet deeper into the bog. I think, on 

 the whole, that the butterfly is easier to catch on a grey warm day 

 without much sun. It may then be seen sitting with closed wings on 

 blades of grass, or on yellow flowers, and may be quietly approached 

 and boxed without difficulty." This reminds oneof Bond's note that in the 

 Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire fens, the imagines were very active 



