POLYOMMATUS. 47 



throughout Europe, Northern and Western Asia, and North Africa ; and very closely allied 

 species are found in the Himalayas and North America. It is double-brooded, occurring from 

 April to August, and thus appears earlier in the year than any of our other Blues. The larva 

 is dull dark satiny green, with a dark green line on the back, and a black head. It feeds on 

 the flowers of holly, buckthorn and ivy in early summer, and again in autumn. The upper and 

 under sides of the butterfly are figured at PI. 14, Fig. 4, a, b. 



12. P. Donzelii (Boisd.). — Brown, basal half of all the wings pale blue in the male. Under 

 side similar to that of P. Damon, but the eyes of the fore-wings beneath are not much larger 

 than those of the hind-wings, and the white longitudinal streak on the under side of the hind- 

 wings (which often have marginal orange spots, as well as indistinct marginal dark spots) is 

 shorter, broader behind, and less distinct than in P. Damon. Expands from i to i| inches. 

 It is found in the high mountains of South France, the Southern Alps, and the Altai in June 

 and July, but is met with in the plains in some parts of Russia and Sweden. 



13. P. Damon (W. V.). — Male pale blue, with rather broad brown hind margins; female 

 brown, sometimes bluish at the base ; fringes white. Under side greyish or reddish brown, 

 with a row of eyes which are much larger on the fore-wings than on the hind-wings. Fore- 

 wings with no basal eyes ; hind-wings with a broad white longitudinal streak running from 

 the base almost to the hind margin. In the variety Damone (Eversm.), from the Ural, the male 

 is blue, with a narrow black border, and the basal streak on the hind-wings beneath is narrower 

 and whiter. Expands from i to lA inches. Common from June to August in many parts of 

 South Europe and Western Asia, though somewhat local. It frequents sunny flowery slopes, 

 especially on a limestone soil, in fields of Onobrycliis sativa, on which the larva, which is yellowish- 

 green, with a dark green stripe on the back, and a paler stripe, bordered with white, on the sides, 

 may be found in May and June. The butterfly is figured at PI. 14, Fig. 5. 



14. P. Admetus (Esp.). — Dark brown, with brownish fringes, hind-wings often with traces of 

 marginal orange spots in the female. Under side pale grey ; fore-wings with a black discoidal 

 lunule surrounded with white, but without basal spots ; hind-wings with two basal spots. There is 

 a central row of eyes on all the wings, and a double row of brown ante-marginal lunules, which 

 are slightly tinged with orange in the female. Inhabits South-Eastern Europe, Western Asia, 

 and perhaps South France, in June. The variety Ripartii (Freyer) is more widely distributed, 

 occurring also in the Southern Alps in June and July. It may be distinguished from Admetus 

 by its smaller size, and by possessing a white basal streak on the under side of the hind-wings. 

 Expands from i to li inches. 



15. /". Dolus (Hiibn.). — Male very pale blue, almost white, base greenish-blue, centre of the 

 wings light brown, veins brown, hind margins darker. Female dark brown, faintly bluish-green at 

 the base, with a large black discoidal spot on the fore-wings. Under side yellowish-grey, with the 

 usual row of eyes, and one on the costa of the hind-wings near the base. The female has a faint 

 basal streak (more distinct in the Turkish variety Menalcas, Freyer, the male of which is less 

 brown). P. Dolus is not uncommon in South France and Piedmont from June to August. The 

 larva, which feeds on Onobrycliis sativa in May, is green, with slightly oblique yellowish dorsal 

 streaks, separated by more conspicuous green lines, violet at the sides, and bounded by a yellowish 

 line. This species is probably only another variety of Admetus, as is also doubtless the Syrian 

 Hopfferi (Herr. Schaff.), which appears to be intermediate between Admetus and Menalcas. 



16. P. Daphnis (W. V.). — Wings dentated, slightly in the male, but with two strong projections 

 before the anal angle of the hind-wings in the female. Male blue, female duller, with black 

 nervures, a black discoidal spot surrounded with whitish, and broad blackish borders, with a 



