205*. 



12. H. Arcaniiis Linn. Fab. Esp. tab. 21. f. 4. — Schcef. Icon. 

 127./ 4 & 5.— Hub. t. 51. f. 240-242.— GocZa. l.pl. 26./. 3. 

 —Curtis Brit. Ent. pi. 205*. 



Male P Tawny. Head, thorax and abdomen brown ; club 

 of antennae ferruginous on the inside. Superior wings with 

 the costa inclining to brown and the posterior margin with a 

 fimbria of the same colour, upon which is a small obscure ocel- 

 lus near the apex. Inferior wings brown, palest across the 

 middle, with a narrow orange stripe at the anal angle, three or 

 four ocelli scarcely visible. Underside of superior wings with 

 the costa and posterior margin slightly fuscous, with a short 

 pale ochreous transverse stripe towards the apex, where there 

 is an ocellus (and sometimes a very minute one also) with a 

 black iris : inferior wings pale ochreous, orange brown at the 

 base, terminating in a sinuated margin beyond the middle, 

 having an ocellus with a black iris and silver pupil at the su- 

 perior extremity ; the posterior margin bright tawny, with two 

 large and two (sometimes three) small ocelli like the former 

 one, and a silver line nearer the cilia. 



The other sex has the disc of the inferior wings tawny, and 

 the ocelli are not visible on the upper side. 



Being in possession of the only indigenous specimen of this 

 insect, and having obtained a drawing of the caterpillar and 

 chrysalis from Hiibner, I have been tempted to give an en- 

 graving of them, to accompany the remaining account of the 

 genus Hipparchia. A desire to make this work complete, as 

 far as I am able, has induced me in this single instance to de- 

 viate from my plan; but such a step will not be again necessary. 



The specimen figured (which by the form of the body I 

 consider a male) was captured by Mr. Plastead it is under- 

 stood, on the borders of Ashdown Forest, and is now in my 

 cabinet. This species appears in abundance on the Continent, 

 at the same periods and in the same situations as U. Hero^. 

 The caterpillar feeds upon Melica ciliata, of which genus 

 there are three species in Britain, one of which has been al- 

 ready figured in plate 173, and another accompanies the pre- 

 sent subject. 



* The localities and times of appearance on the Continent of H. Ligea, Hero, 

 and Arcanius, are here recorded, hoping that the information may lead to the dis- 

 covery of more indigenous specimens. 



