REST ATTITUDES 
573 
more marked in certain Neotropical Skippers, such as Gorgythion 
begga , Prittw., Gycloglypha thrasybulus, Eabr., and Chiomara gesta, 
H.-Schaff.—all met with in Venezuela,—and Systasea erosa , Hubn., 
in Tobago. In the last species the convexity is extreme. 
Mr. Meyrick includes our malvae and tages in the same genus, 
Hesperia; but the difference in the form of the fore-wings is very 
obvious during life, as is the difference in the resting attitudes, and 
the distinctions seem to me to have generic value. Indeed it is 
because the grouping of the Hesperids into genera appears to be still 
in an inchoate state, that I think it better to deal with species rather 
than to attempt to generalize. 
Apart from feeding on flowers, butterflies often rest from flight 
on the ground, on the upper side of leaves, or on tree trunks. Such 
a state of rest is more reposeful than that first described, but in many 
species it is varied by occasional closing and reopening of the wings; 
or in some Lycaenids by curious horizontal movements of the hind- 
wings only. A few Skippers, such as Badamia exclamationis, 
Hantana inf emus, Gelaenorrhinus spilothyrus , Gaprona ransonnetti 
and Pterygospidea flesus , may occasionally be seen (even in bright 
sunshine) to settle on the under side of leaves. Most of these are 
conspicuous insects and some of them are less swift of flight 
than many of the family, and there is no doubt whatever that the 
concealment must afford them considerable protection. 
The actual habits of butterflies when asleep are but little known, 
the great majority almost certainly close their wings over their 
backs, the fore-wings being more or less withdrawn between the 
hind-wings, but some of the larger Skippers, such as Gaprona , etc., 
probably sleep with them spread out, like Geometers. Certainly our 
common Skippers, Hesperia sylvanus, Esp., and H. thaumas, Hufn., 
adopt the usual butterfly attitude, but many years ago Mr. Roland 
Trimen called attention to the fact that Nisoniades tages , Linn., sleeps 
with the wings inclined so as to form a roof, like many Noctuids. 1 
The folding of the posterior third of the hind-wing alluded to above 
is another point of resemblance of the Hesperidae to the Noctuae . 
As regards the sleeping attitude of Hesperia I again quote Dr. 
Dixey:— 
Mortehoe, July 14th, 8.35 p.m. Saw H. sylvanus resting; wings 
turned up flat over back, not in characteristic “Skipper” 
attitude. 
As has been already stated, many Lycaenids (possibly all) sleep 
1 Barrett, “ Lepidoptera of the British Islands,” vol. i. p. 309. 
