I.YC.r.Nin-K. — I'Ol.VOM.-NIATUS. 85 



mentary in tlio two last-mentioned insects. Again, some few of the 

 species have the eyes })ul)eseent, while others have them naked. 



Sp. 1. Argiolus. Alls Iwt] cwrulcis apicc nigris, suhli^s cunix jwnciis ublotifris 



diJJ'urmibus nigris. (Exp. alar. 1 unc. 2 — 6 lin.) 

 Pa. Argiolus. lAunr. — Lewin, pi. 36. f. 4 — 6.— Po. Argiolus. Slcph. Catal, 



Male above of a beautiful light blue, tinged Avith lilac : the anterior wings with 

 a narrow black or dusky streak on the hinder margin, and a black and white 

 fringe : the posterior with a delicate black marginal line and white fringe : 

 beneath light gray ; the anterior wings with a central slender lunulated spot, 

 and six transverse black streaks, the costal one being placed by itself, and 

 that towards the anal angle frequently geminated, sometimes obliterated, the 

 fringe white : the posterior wings with about twelve scattered black dots, with 

 the base fine blue : on the hinder margin of all the wings is an obsolete series 

 of inverted crescents : the body is dusky above, with bluish hairs, gray be- 

 neath : the antenna are black, anntdated with white. 



The female differs in being of a paler colour above, with the anterior wings 

 broadly margined with dusky or black, leaving only a large subtriangular dis- 

 coidal blue patch, reaching to the thinner edge : the posterior have the costa 

 dusky, and an obsolete row of blackish dots on the hinder margin ; beneath 

 she resembles the male. 



This species varies considerably in size, and in the width of the dusky margin 

 of the wings in the female; in some specimens the latter occupies nearly half 

 of the anterior wing, and the posterior one has but a small subtriangular dis- 

 coidal blue patch ; and the anterior wings are also frequently marked above 

 with a strong transverse black line. 



Both sexes also vary much in the number and strength of the black dots be- 

 neath ; in some the transverse row on the anterior wings is composed of such 

 large dots as almost to form a continuous line, while others have nearly im- 

 perceptible points, varying in number from four to seven; die central line is 

 sometimes nearly straight ; the posterior wings have sometimes a bent line in 

 the centre, and the dots vary in number, and are more or less obliterated or 

 confluent. 



The caterpillar is hairy, yellowish-green, with a bright green line down the 

 back, and black head and wings; it feeds on the buckdiorn (Rhamnus fran- 

 gula) and holly (Ilex europieus). The chrysalis is smooth, brown and green, 

 with a black dorsal line. 



This variable insect occurs in several places near the metropolis; 

 I have taken it repeatedly on Epping Forest, and near Kipley, 

 where the holly abounds, and also near Dartford. It is also found 

 in Norfolk, Suffolk, Hants, and Devonshire ; and appears twice in 

 the year, about the middle of May for the first time, and towards 

 the end of August for the latter. 



