49 



Sin (Fiitniiinlngirnl Ikttrli. 



THE SCOIXJII ARGUS, (POLYOMMATUS ARTAXERXES.) 



BY U, F. LOGAN, ESQ. 



1'. Artiixerxes. 



P. Agestis. 



It is a bright day in June, at the base of one of the sunny slopes of 

 Arthur's Heat, the lion-couchant hill which overlooks the metropolis of the 

 North, and is one of its fairest ornaments. The banks are yellow with the 

 flowers of the Dwarf Cistus, {Helimxthemum vulgare,) whose delicate petals 

 fall with the sun, intermingled with the more enduring blossoms of the Bird's- 

 foot Trefoil, (Lotus corniculatus,) whose little scarlet buds pale to a rich yellow 

 as they unfold; while here and there, the pink blossoms of the Rest-harrow, 

 (Ononis arvensis,) spread themselves in wild luxuriance on the edge of some 

 overhanging bank; and the first sprigs of Wild Thyme begin to shed their 

 perfume, and attract the attentions of the large Moss-carder Bee, as he goes 

 booming past on rapid wing. 



The bright Blue Butterflies, (Polyommatus alexis,) are flitting about — now 

 flying straight onward with impetuous haste — now lingering round a flowery 

 knoll, or resting with wings half open on a tuft of Heliantliemum, and anon 

 starting ofi" again, and sportively buffeting a relation as he passes by, or 

 bestowing a little of the same rough attention upon one of those dusky little 

 Butterflies, which are flitting so quietly about, shewing, as they close their 

 wings for a moment on some spike of grass, an evident relationship with their 

 more gaily coloured rivals, in the spots and dots which adorn their wings on 

 the under side. Above, they are almost black, with a central dot of the 

 purest white on the anterior wings, and a row of reddish spots behind, with 

 a delicate white fringe encircling all. 



These dusky little fellows are, par excellence, the Butterflies of Arthur's Seat. 

 They are the Polyommatus Ariaxerxes, or Scotch Argus; and, although found, 

 sparingly, in other parts of Scotland, they have never been seen anywhere in such 

 numbers as on Arthur's Seat; though, strange to tell, no one knows anything 



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