to6 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



The larva is green, with orange and yellow lines, and feeds 

 on A7ithynis viilneraria^ and other vetches. The pupa is pale 

 grey, with black dots and dashes ; it is found on the ground, 

 unattached, according to some writers, but others say that it is 

 attached by a belt to a stalk of the food-plant. 



The Butterfly is common throughout Europe and Northern 

 and Western Asia, but is very local in Britain, preferring a 

 chalk or limestone soil. In Switzerland it is frequently found 

 in company with Cupido argiades^ which led Schrank to regard 

 it as the true female of that species. 



GENUS NOMIADES. 



Noju fades, Hul)ner, Verz. bek. Schmett. p. 67 (t8i6). 

 This name may be provisionally applied to a number of 

 species of moderate or large size, which are generally blue 

 above in the males, and brown in the females. The under 

 surface of the wings is marked with discoidal spots, at least on 

 the fore-wings, and at least one row of spots beyond, generally 

 largest on the fore-wings. There are no marginal markings, 

 or at least no red or orange ones, and not always discoidal 

 lunules, or basal spots on the hind-wings. Dr. Scudder has 

 indicated the type as N. seiniargus ; but this species and its 

 allies will probably be separated ultimately from the group 

 represented by N. arion. The British species of this group 

 are on the verge of extinction in England. 



THE MAZARINE BLUE. NOMIADES SEMIARGUS. 

 {Plate XLIX. Figs 6, 7.) 

 Papilio semiargus, Von Rottemburg, Naturforscher, vi. p. 20, 

 fig- 6 (1775); Herbst, Naturs. Schmett. xi. p. 177 (1804). 

 Papilio argiolus, Esper, Schmett. i. (i) p. 277, pi. 21, figs, i, 

 a, h (1778); Hubner, Eur. Schmett. i. figs. 269-271 

 (1803). 



