250 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



a c? ) just over an inch across the wings, which will give an idea 

 of how uniform in size the species is in this locality, as well as 

 defend the title of giant race bestowed upon them. Both males 

 and females of those selected are very richly coloured, and two 

 of the former sex have the usual silvery blue scales replaced by 

 rich dark blue, which decidedly adds to their beauty. 



Towards the evening is the best time for collecting this species 

 (as, indeed, all " blues "), as they are then not so lively, and can 

 frequently be taken at rest. One warm corner will often produce 

 scores of the insect, and as the collector walks through the 

 long grasses which abound here, it is a very beautiful sight to 

 watch the disturbed butterflies as they float, rather than Hy, up 

 before him, seeming to hang suspended in the air. 



The males always look bluer in flight than they actually are ; 

 but then this also applies to other members of the family (except 

 Agriades corydon, which appears almost white). 



On a hot sunny day C. minimus often flies so rapidly that it 

 is quite difficult to follow, and even when in the net is almost 

 impossible to box, which is the only way to capture without 

 damage so small and fragile a creature. 



Variation in the underside of many examined was practically 

 nil as regards the spots, but differences in the ground-colour 

 occurred in specimens from various districts, e.g. in the afore- 

 mentioned locality the undersides are generally very pale and 

 silvery, whilst in examples from Fulbourn and the Via Devana 

 they are duller and browner ; applying also to the upperside 

 in these latter insects, which are frequently dwarf in size. 



Ejnnephelc jurtina. — This species is always worth examining, 

 males often verging to the female colour and rice i^ersd. A 

 rather good <? was taken by accident in Hunts, in .Tune. It 

 appeared over a blackthorn bush at the same moment as a Thecla 

 pruni, and plebeian and aristocrat were engulfed in the net 

 together. The usual plain or paler brown area around the 

 " eye " was, in this case, quite a bright fulvous,* very similar to 

 rather faintly marked females I have seen. This form of ^ 

 jurtina appears to be commoner in woodlands than anywhere — 

 at least I have seldom met with it in the chalk. 



In July and early August I visited one of my favourite 

 haunts, the Fleam Dyke — one of two great earthworks running 

 between Cambridge and Newmarket. This is a good place for 

 Agriades corydon, Angiades comma, and ITipparchia semele, the 

 latter especially favouring that portion of the dyke that has been 

 planted with pine trees. 



Agriades corydon occurs here in thousands and in all sizes, 

 from 1^ in. across the wings (one very fine female) to less than 

 the inch ! Some of these dwarfs were males, and thus presented 



* Very much brighter than fig. 2, pi. 84 of South, which is quite common. 



