76 H AUSTELL ATA. — LEPIDOPTERA. 



sKghdy waved elongate orange band, margined with black internally and 

 white externally : the anal angle is spotted with black, and the cilia on the 

 anal areolets have a fuscous stripe: the body is brown above, cinereous 

 beneath : the antenna black, annulated with white. 

 Var. /3. Male with the anterior wings above without a fulvous cloud. 

 Caterpillar green, with obHque yellowish streaks on the sides, and two yellow 

 dorsal lines : it feeds on the birch and black-thorn : the chrysalis is reddish- 

 brown, with paler streaks. 



Inhabits birch-woods about the middle of August : Coombe and 

 Darenth woods are its chief residences near London, though it is 

 occasionally found near Hornsey : it occurs also in Ray don- wood, 

 near Ipswich; in Berkshire, Dorsetshire, Devonshire, and near 

 Andover ; but it cannot be esteemed a common species any where, 

 though about twelve years ago I took many specimens in Coombe- 

 wood, both in the larva and imago states. 



Sp. 2. Quercus. Alts supra nigricantihus disco cceruleo, subtiis cinereis strigd 

 undatd albii punctoque ani geminofulvo. (Exp. alar. 1 unc. 3 — 6 lin.) 



Pa. Quercus. Linne. — Lewin, pi. 43. — Th. Quercus. Steph. Catal. 



Wings above dusky black : the male with the disc of the anterior deep glossy 

 blue, formed of an oblong patch, covering the basal areolet, and extending 

 posteriorly towards the anal angle : the female with the entire disc purple, 

 with a dusky posterior margin : the posterior wings with an obsolete fulvous 

 dot : beneath, both sexes are similar ; the anterior wings are cinereous, with 

 an abbreviated white streak on the costa towards the apex ; between which 

 and the posterior margin the wing is paler, with a few fulvescent or whitish 

 spots, clouded internally with dusky : the posterior wings are similar at the 

 base, and have a strong undulated white streak, slightly edged internally 

 with dusky ; beyond this the margin of the wing is paler, and bears two 

 rows of obsolete whitish crescents, with a fulvous spot at the anal angle, and 

 an ocellus with a fulvous iris and black pupil ; the tail is black : the body is 

 black above, cinereous beneath : the antennae black, obsoletely annulated with 

 cinereous, with the club fulvescent beneath. 



The purple blotch on the anterior wings of the male varies greatly in size ; and 

 the wings of the female are sometimes so slightly purpurascent as to appear 

 brown. 



Caterpillar flesh-coloured or brownish, with three rows of green dots ; it feeds 

 on the oak. Chrysalis rust-coloured, with three rows of brown dots. 



A very common species throughout the south of Britain during 

 the middle of July, frequenting the tops of lofty oaks and ash-trees : 

 it is, however, somewhat rare in the north, as I am informed by 

 Mr. Wailes that it occurred for the first time at Gibside, near New- 

 castle, in August last; but Mr. Backhouse acquaints me that it is 

 common at Overton-wood, near York. 



