around Pontnewydd Works, Monmouthshire, 227 



Small heath; 21. H, Galathea, Marbled white; 22. H, 

 Meg^ra, Wall; 23. H, Mgeria, Speckled wood; 24. H, 

 Jaiiira, Meadow brown ; 25. H. Tithonus, Large heath, — 

 These hipparchias are, generally, very numerous; indeed, 

 no fly is more common than the somewhat rare H. Galathea. 

 Of H. Janira I have a very pale variety : had it not been 

 captured early in the season, I should have supposed it to 

 have been weatherworn, as we generally find them to be 

 late in the autumn ; but the specimen to which I allude is 

 more uniformly pale than those which may thus be taken 

 when they are about to disappear, and was the only pale 

 one to be found when all its congeners were in the full bloom 

 of beauty. 



26. Thecla betulce, Brown hair streak ; 27. T, quercus, 

 Purple hairstreak. — These are the only two theclas which 

 I have detected in the neighbourhood. Thecla quercus 

 abounds, and the individuals present a very beautiful sight, 

 whilst sporting about the tops of the oaks, just at sunset, their 

 wings catching the light as they fly, and then the whole in- 

 stantaneously disappearing among the foliage. I have found 

 some with the upper surface of the primary wings almost en- 

 tirely of a deep blue, when held in a proper position to catch 

 the light ; whilst others presented only the two blue spots 

 (usually described), but with great brilliancy. Thecla betulae 

 is a rare and a very beautiful fly. Whilst speaking of Thecla 

 quercus, I may remark that I have not been a little surprised 

 that Apatura Vris has never been found in this locality, which is 

 almost entirely overrun with oak ; but I have never seen the 

 fly: what can be the cause? 



28. Lyc&na Phl^as, Common copper, — Very common. 



29. Polyommatus Argus, Silver-studded blue ; 30. P, 

 slrgiolus, Azure blue ; 31. P.Cymon? Mazarine blue ? — Re- 

 garding some observations which have been made on P. 

 Argioliw [Vol. IV. p. 477. 558., Vol. V. p. 109. 205. 490. 

 496. 768.], I would observe that it certainly is not a double- 

 brooded fly with us. It is one of the earliest flies which I 

 capture, and I have never seen it after the spring season. 

 Respecting P. Cymo/2, 1 must refer to a former communication 

 upon the subject (p. 96.). Whatever the fly may be, it is 

 scarce, and very local. I have never captured it but in one 

 meadow. [See Mr. Bree's reply, p. 190. 191.] 



32. Hesperia comma, Pale spotted skipper; 33. H. 

 linea, Small skipper ; 34. H. Tdges, Dingy skipper ; 35. H, 

 malvce, Grizzled skipper, — All these, with the exception of 

 H. malvae, are common ; but of that fly I have never taken 

 but one specimen. 



o, 2 



