264 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



and even did so when the wings were opened. On the same date, in 

 the evening, while walking through a wood, I came across another of 

 this species asleep on a bent grass stem by the side of the path. Its 

 antenna were extended in front, and pressed quite close together 

 so as to appear like one appendage, and held in an arched position with 

 the clubs inclined downwards. It was very sluggish. I have been 

 comparing the habits of this species with that of Edwardsia w-album, 

 and have tried to puzzle out why they differ. E. w-albumiikes to stay 

 in the neighbourhood of its foodplant and never strays far. B. quereus, 

 on the contrary, may often be seen flying swiftly over the bushes and 

 across country. No doubt the stay-at-home habits of E. w-album are due 

 to the comparative rarity of the wych-elm which is decidedly local, but 

 B. quercm can safely indulge in long flights and, wherever it goes, so long 

 as it keeps to the woodlands, will always be able to find an oak-tree 

 when it wants to do so." Kowland-Brown says that he observed 

 males on holly at Lyndhurst, on July 26th, 1902, and Sotheby 

 records it as flying round mountain-ash in Abbott's Wood in July, 

 1882. Alderson observes (Ent., xxv., p. 314) that the imagines could 

 be beaten out in dull weather in the New Forest in July, 1892, and 

 Wilkinson that it may sometimes be beaten from pine-trees, in Barron 

 Wood, after dusk. Raynor observes (Ent. Bee, xviii., pp. 298-9) that 

 the females often run about the twigs, apparently busy egg-laying, 

 but evidently not doing so, and that he was unable to detect a 

 female at the actual operation, although he often noticed what he 

 thought were females laying their eggs. Although we have noted 

 the species as being very abundant in 1904, at the blossoms of 

 Ehamnus frangula, on the Klein- Zerbster-Busch, the habit of 

 visiting flowers in numbers must be considered rather exceptional. We 

 found a female, with several of Klugia spini, feeding on the flowers of 

 a white saxifrage, growing on the tops of the walls near Chavoire, 

 by the banks of the Lac d'Annecy, July 29th, 1902, whilst others 

 were flying freely round the oak-bushes on the slopes above, 

 and settling on the topmost boughs, a much more usual habit with 

 this species (Tutt). In the historic little gorge at Digne, just beyond 

 the "Baths," we captured a specimen in early August, 1906, on 

 Eupatoriiim cannabinum, among swarms of Coenonympha dorus, Erebia 

 neoridas, Loweia dorilis, Hipparchia arethusa, and other species. As 

 stated above, Bird once observed a specimen of this species on 

 flowers of Eupatorium cannabinum, at Tintern ; this was a female, and 

 Edelsten observes that, in August, 1900, the imagines were seen flying 

 high round the tops of the oaks in Abbott's Wood, whilst the females 

 often settled on large low boughs, where they appeared to be egglaying ; 

 the imagines also came to late flowers of bramble. Lewin also says 

 that it may be taken frequently at bramble-blossoms whilst feeding, 

 and on which it frequently settles. Armstrong notes it as abundant in 

 the Carlisle district, on oaks in August, also flying around Cirdum 

 arvense and other plants, the white 1 varieties of the former being seldom 

 visited. Hamm notes it at flowers of lime at Aldermaston Park. 

 Gebhard records it as being attracted at Rathen, near Libau, by the 

 odoriferous "queen of the meadow," thistle-flowers, etc. Constant 

 says that in Saone-et-Loire it often flies around chestnut-trees in 

 blossom, at a great height, which makes it difficult to capture. Griffith 

 says that, in Morbihan,. it almost always flies about the summit of 

 oaks, sometimes, however, resting on the fruit of the chestnut. 



