the wing, and sometimes appear in immense quantities amongst 

 wild flowers and grass in meadows and on the sea-coast, gene- 

 rally towards the end of June, when they appear in their dif- 

 ferent stages at tlie same time. The folly of adopting H'lib- 

 ner's divisions is very conspicuous in this natural group, which 

 he has divided into 3 genera. 



The following species have been recorded as British, but from 

 Mr. Wood's figures 1 very much doubt their being distinct, 

 and shall therefore give Ochsenheimer's characters which have 

 been copied by Mr. Stephens. 



1. Meliloti Och.—Hiih. Sph. t. 17./ 82. (?. " Anterior wings 



black-green or green-blue, subdiaphanous, with 5 red spots: 

 posterior red, with a narrow black-green margin." Och. 

 End of June, West Horsley Park, Surrey. Steph. 111. 



2. Loti Fab. — Don. v. 9. pi. 319. — Lonicerae Hub. " Anterior 



wings black-blue with 5 red spots, same colour beneath : 

 posterior red, with a broad sinuated black-blue margin ; 

 antennae entirely black." Och. 

 Common in marshy situations the end of June, also the end 



of May and beginning of June. 



2^. Trifolii Esp. tab. xxxiv. cont. ix.f.^Sj- 5. " Anterior wings 

 blue, with 5 red spots (the 2 central united) same colour be- 

 neath; posterior red with a broad cyaneous margin." Och. 

 This is the variety of ^. Loti with confluent spots commonly 



called by English collectors Z. Scabwsce, but the continental 



one is a very distinct insect. 



3. Filipendulse Li?iti. — Curi. Brit. E71t.pl, 54^7 S' with the ca- 



terpillar and a cocoon. 

 Obs. The 6th red spot is occasionally nearly obliterated in 

 this species, and sometimes it is slightly apparent in Z. Loti. 



Very abundant in hay-fields and upland situations ; I have 

 observed it from the beginning of June to the 4th of August, 

 Found also in July on a rocky hill near Dunrobin Castle in 

 the County of Sutherland. 



3^ Hippocrepidisi//7^'. ^. 5.y:32 ?.^. 17./83c?. "Anterior 

 wings black-blue, with 6 scarlet spots, all confluent be- 

 neath; posterior red with a sinuated black margin; ab- 

 domen immaculate." Och. 

 In France it is only found in the departments on the bor- 

 ders of Switzerland. Mr. Stephens says he has taken it in 

 Coombe Wood 20th June, and near Darent Wood. 



4. Peucedani Esp. — Hiib. t. 16./ 75. c^- 76. " Anterior wings 



black-blue, with 6 red spots confluent beneath : posterior 

 red with a broad blue margin ; abdomen with a red ring ; 

 apexof the antennae white." Och. 

 A very variable species, and probably British, being figured 

 by Wilks in his " English Moths and Butterflies." 



The Plant is Valeriana officinalis (Great wild Valerian), over 

 the flowers of which 1 have frequently seen Z. Filipendulcc hover- 

 ing, and dexterously inserting its proboscis into the corolloe. 



