EURALIS BETUL^. 811 



Galway, and Dupont observes that it is particularly fond of, and rests 

 commonly on, brambles in the forests round Pont de l'Arche. 

 Newman says that it was always to be found resting on flowers on the 

 outskirts of Birch Wood. Edelsten observes that the imagines fly high 

 over oaks in Epping Forest, but come also to late bramble blossom ; 

 whilst one occasionally sees a female busy ovipositing on sloe bushes. 

 The females are noted as visiting flowers of Valeriana officinalis at 

 Pennin, in Pomerania (Spormann), and in Mecklenburg, at Blankenese, 

 the males are said to be abundant on thistle flowers (Tessmann), whilst 

 in Silesian Upper Lusatia the species is said to frequent Solidago 

 flowers in gardens (Moschler), an observation repeated also for Saxon 

 Upper Lusatia (Schiitze), and in the Anhalt district it has been 

 observed feasting on the flowers of thyme (Gillmer). Kretschmer 

 notes it as having been observed, in gardens in Frankfurt-on-Oder, 

 feasting on the fruit blown down by the wind. At Digne, in August, 

 1903, it was much attracted to the pods of a shrub that were covered 

 with honeydew (Rowland-Brown). In Hungary, R. betulae usually 

 flies around Primus domestica, and visits especially the blooms of 

 Sambucus ebalus (Aigner-Abafi). Seyffer notes that, of 100 imagines 

 bred at Wiirttemberg, over 90 were males. The species is of exceed- 

 ingly retired habit, hiding amongst the leaves and branches of trees 

 and flying but little, and, when pursued, the butterfly does not 

 try to escape by flying rapidly away, but seeks a dark spot and 

 comes to rest under the leaves of bushes, etc. (Rossler). It is 

 to be observed also that the butterfly is very rarely seen on the 

 wing compared with the abundance of the larvae, a fact which seems 

 to give colour to Rossler's suggestion that the butterfly chooses 

 to hide in bushes and hedges beneath the leaves. It seems to 

 prefer a solitary life, not seeking the society of its companions, and, 

 when observed, is seen walking alone and sunning itself on the bushes 

 (Glaser) ; it . has also beeu observed sunning itself on the isolated 

 blackthorn bushes, near the " Ziethe Busch," the butterfly walking 

 on the leaves in sunshine, and one finds examples occasionally flying 

 in the shade (Gillmer). As to its retired habits, Mathew observes that 

 the perfect insect does not appear to show itself much on the wing ; indeed, 

 he adds, he has never once seen it, although he has beaten the larvae 

 in some numbers at the places named above, at Plymouth, Dartmouth, 

 Lustleigh, etc., and Edmunds says that the species, in Trench Woods, 

 rarely, if ever, flies unless the sun shines, and then only at intervals. 

 Wood says that, in the Ashford district of Kent, even when the 

 larvae have been very abundant, only a few imagines have been 

 observed ; it prefers to keep to the woods, and, after its short flights, 

 seems to choose oak-leaves upon which to rest, and adds that the few he 

 has discovered, when working for lepidoptera by night, have always been 

 at rest on the underside of oak-leaves. At Chemnitz, the butterfly 

 loves to fly in orchards around plum- and pear-trees, settling suddenly 

 from time to time, and then walking quickly on the upperside of the 

 leaves (Pabst) ; Gillmer says, however, that its movements are at this 

 time slow, and that has always been our impression, its walk being 

 remarkably stately. Gebhard says (Soc. Ent., xii., pp. 131-2) that, 

 at Rathen, near Libau, it is a peculiarity of the butterfly to settle on 

 withered leaves amongst the underwood and also on heath plants, 

 both of which protect it on account of their colour. On the yellow 

 withered leaves, amongst the underwood, he says, he has always 



