1876.] A Cosmopolitan Butterfly. II. Its History. 609 
The butterfly is particularly fond of fields, gardens, highways, 
open ground, and waste places; it frequently alights on stone 
walls heated by the sun, and is greatly attracted by flowers, par- 
ticularly by thistles and the other plants upon which the cater- 
pillar feeds ; here it may readily be taken ; not so in other spots, 
for although very fearless, and even impudent, it is exceedingly 
wary, dashing off headlong at the slightest alarm. In Florida, 
Dr. Chapman once found three or four entangled in the leaves of 
a Sarracenia. 
Its flight is rapid, dashing, and discontinuous, it doubles fre- 
quently and abruptly, usually to the right or left rather than up 
or down, although it has no predilection for a particular elevation 
above the ground, as some other butterflies have ; in these frequent 
changes it makes a series of spasmodic efforts, the movements of 
the wings being more vigorous during the initial half of each 
start, or perhaps confined to that period. It loves to return to 
the spot from which it has been driven, or to the immediate vi- 
cinity, often circling about first, as if selecting the best spot. On 
a windy day its flight is not a little remarkable ; it rises high in- 
the air, then suddenly darts down until it has approached within 
five or ten metres of the ground, when it starts upward again to 
repeat the process. On a warm, sunny day, it frequently flies 
until within half an hour of sunset, and it may be seen laying 
*ggs at almost any hour between ten and four. 
“Tts wildly timorous behavior,” says Meyer-Dür, “is quite 
. striking 3 it is uncommonly audacious ; swift and savage, it dashes 
_ Megularly about; scarcely observing the pursuer, heedless of 
the net, it returns directly to the place it has left, and sits with 
horizontally opened wings on the dry earth or spots of sand. It 
18 a nimble, lively, youthful, untamed, petulant insect, which 
shows in its behavior no resemblance to its proud but circum- 
Spect neighbor, Atalanta.” ‘ 
alighting, it partially or wholly expands the wings ; when 
l fully Spread, they are brought well forward, and are often even 
Slightly depressed ; the straight antennz are then spread at ar 
| angle of ninety degrees and lie in the plane of the body, or per- 
PS slightly elevated. ; : 
___ Although its habit is to alight freqently, its flight is strong and 
Well sustained. Trimen relates that a specimen flew on board 
 ® vessel in which he was sailing, when about ninety miles from 
Teneriffe. Reference has already been made to one of these but- 
_ terflies Visiting a vessel six hundred miles from the main land dur- 
YOU. x. — No. 10. 39 
