BRITISH AXD EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AXD MOTHS. 



is found in June and July in open woods, 

 and about elm trees. It likes best to settle 

 on flowering privet and Vihurnmn. It is found 

 all over Central Europe, but is not generally 

 common in Britain. The caterpillar is found 

 in May on the leaves of the common elm, 

 upon which it feeds. 



T. ilicis, Esp. The male has the wings 

 dark brown. The female is lighter, and is 

 shot with greenish bronze, and the fore wings 

 have a dull orange blotch upon them. The 

 under side, which is of a lighter brown, has 

 a row of small white crescent-shaped spots 

 running parallel with the hind margins. 

 These are not conspicuous on the fore wings, 

 but are more distinct on the hind wings, on 

 which there is a row of orange spots be- 

 tween them and the margin. In the var. esculi, 

 Hiibn. the row of white spots on the under 

 side of the fore wings is wanting. The butterfl}' 

 frequents woods in May and September. It 

 is a Central European species, but is not 

 found in Britain. The caterpillar is green, 

 with a yellowish streak on the back and sides. 

 It feeds in May and August on oak bushes. 



T. acaciae, Fabr. resembles the last spe- 

 cies, but wants the orange spot on the fore 

 wings in the female. The under side is paler 

 than the upper, and more of a grey colour, 

 the white line of the hind wings is more dis- 

 tinct than in ilicis, and the row of orange 

 spots shorter. It inhabits Southern Europe, 

 especially the South of France, in June and 

 July, and is most frequent in dry meadows 

 on hills. The caterpillar lives in June upon 

 sloe bushes. 



T. pruni, Linn. The Black Hair 

 Streak. PL IV. fig. 2. Under side 2 a. is 

 fairly common in June and July in open 

 woods. It is found throughout Central Europe, 

 but it is excessively local in England. The 

 larva is green, darker above, with two rows 

 of long yellow spots on the back and one on 

 each side, and six oblique yellow stripes on 

 the sides. It is found in May and June on 

 various species of Prwius. 



T. quercus, Linn. The Purple Hair 

 Streak. PL IV. fig. 3. Female 3 a. This 

 beautiful insect appears in June and July, and 

 frequents oak woods, where it sports about 

 among the oak -leaves. It is commoner in 



England than in Scotland and Ireland. The 

 larva is reddish brown, often with a green 

 tinge, and has two rows of oblique black 

 stripes on the dorsal surface. It lives in May 

 and June on oak. 



T. rubi, Linn. The Green Hair Streak. 

 PL IV. fig. 4. Under side 4a. is found in 

 May and August in woods and on heaths. 

 It is fairly common in Great Britain. The 

 caterpillar is green with whitish streaks on 

 the back, and white stripes and oblique 

 yellow lines on the sides. It feeds on broom, 

 the flower heads of the bramble, etc. 



Genus PolyoiTimatus, Latr. 



The upper side of these butterflies is bril- 

 liant orange-red in the males, often with a 

 violet lustre. The females vary from orange to 

 dark brown, with a red marginal band spotted 

 with black, and generally with black spots 

 on the fore wings, and sometimes also on the 

 hind wings. The under side of the fore wings 

 is orange, and of the hind wings grey, varying 

 from blue to warm brown, with numerous black 

 spots ringed with white. The larvae are wood- 

 louse-shaped, with a small retractile head, and 

 are covered with a fine down. They feed upon 

 various species of Rumex, and remain hidden 

 during the da^'. They construct their pupae 

 on the stems of plants or on the ground. 



P. virgaurese, Linn. PL IV. fig. 5. is 

 fairly common in woods and meadows on 

 the Continent, but is not found in Britain. 

 It appears in May and August. The female 

 is orange-brown with a coppery lustre and 

 marked with black spots. The larva is dull 

 green, with a dark green streak on the side 

 of each segment, and a yellowish line along 

 the back. It feeds on Solidago virgaiwca and 

 various species of Rumcx, and is found in June 

 and September. 



P. dispar. Haw. The Large Copper. 

 PI. IV. fig. 6. Female 6a. Under side 6 b. 

 This beautiful butterfly, formerly found in 

 the fen districts of Cambridgeshire and Hunt- 

 ingdonshire, is now, unfortunately, extinct. It 

 used to occur from the middle of June to the 

 middle of August. J. F. Stephens describes 

 it as common at Whittlesea Mere, but the 

 last specimen was taken there in 1S45. One 

 of the last authenticated captures was that 



