92 HAUSTELLATA. LKPIDOPTERA. 



series of eight or nine ocelli, followed by a row of black lunules pointing 

 outwards, and externally bordered with a fulvous patch, with a black spot at 

 the edge, on a white or cream ground, the extreme edge black ; a white blotch 

 connects the fulvous band with the waved series of ocelli. Female above 

 brown, with the disc more or less blue, with a fulvous band at the hinder 

 margin more or less distinct in different individuals ; that of the posterior 

 wings subocellated ; the centre of each lunule of which the fascia is composed 

 bearing a black spot : beneath, aU the wings are deep ash-colour or drab, with 

 the ocelli very distinct and large : the fringe above and below in both sexes is 

 white, with the base dusky or brown, particularly in the female. 



Var. iS. Sfeph. Catal. With the two transverse ocelli towards the base of the 

 anterior wings beneath obliterated. 



Var. y. Steph. Catal. The wings very pale lilac-blue above, and the fulvous 

 band on the hinder margin of all beneath very obsolete. 



Var. ?. Steph. Catal. With, the anterior wings beneath with a large kidney- 

 shaped blackish spot cinctured obscurely with white, the concave side turned 

 towards the interior margin ; the posterior wings with the spot next the costal 

 margin kidney-shaped, the concave side towards the disc : the number of 

 ocelli in all the wings varies considerably, and the kidney-shaped spot is 

 sometimes interrupted. 



Var. f. All the wings beneath with a triangular discoidal spot only, the hinder 

 margin of the anterior with a few indistinct dusky marks, and of the posterior 

 with a fulvous band terminated internally with a series of black wedge-shaped 

 spots, and externally with black dots on a white ground. 



The varieties of this species are innumerable, both in size, form, and colour, 

 some of the females having the anterior wings very much rounded at the tip, 

 others somewhat acute ; the hinder margin of the anterior wings is frequently 

 spotted with white, and the disc sometimes has a round v/hite dot with a 

 central black spot. Some specimens are remarkably clear, and so transparent 

 that the inferior ocelli are plainly observable on the upper surface of the wings. 

 1 have several females with the fringe entirely brown, and a few quite white : 

 others with the upper surface of the wings nearly as blue as that of the males, 

 with a central black spot, while some are plain brown, without the least vestige 

 of blue. The number of ocelli varies greatly, and several of them are fre- 

 quently blind. 



Caterpillar sHghtly hairy, bright green, v/ith a dark dorsal line, and triangular 

 yellow spots adjoining : it feeds upon grasses, the wUd hquorice f Asf?-agalus 

 glysyphyUos) and wild strawberry (Fragaria vescaj. The chrysalis is dark 

 brown. 



The commonest of our blue butterflies, occurring in meadows, 

 pastures, by the sides of grassy lanes, and in marshy places, in all 

 parts of the kingdom : there are two broods in the year, the first 

 appearing towards the end of May, the second about the middle of 

 August. I cannot but suspect that some of the reputed varieties of 

 this insect are really distinct species. 



