POLYOMMATUS. 53 



August ; it is also found in South Africa. This is the smallest butterfly known to occur in Europe, 

 not expanding much more than half an inch. 



43. P. Fisclicri (Eversm.). — Brown, with white fringes. Fore-wings with a black discoidal spot ; 

 hind-wings very slightly dentated, and often with one or two black dots near the anal angle. 

 Under side greyish, with a double row of black marginal spots. Hind-wings with a row of orange 

 spots between these, and the outermost black spots dusted with metallic green. The central row 

 of spots is rather large ; fore-wings with no basal spots. Expands about three-quarters of an inch. 

 It inhabits the steppes of Russia in July. 



^4. P. Argiades (Pall.), Tircsias (Rott.). — Male lilac-blue; female brown, with two orange 

 spots at the anal angle of the hind-wings, which have a short slender tail. Under side bluish-white, 

 with small eyes; fore-wings with no basal eyes; hind-wings with orange marginal spots, bordered 

 with black, before the anal angle. The spring brood, Polysperchon (Ochs.), is much smaller than 

 the summer brood, and the variety Coretas (Ochs.) has no orange spots. Expands from three- 

 quarters of an inch to an inch. Common in Southern and Central Europe (except Spain 

 and Britain) and a great part of Asia. It frequents open flowery places in woods and 

 mountain meadows from May to August. The larva is pale green, with a dark stripe on the 

 back, and dull, dark wavy lines below, as well as with brown and whitish spots. It feeds on 

 Lotus, Trifoliuiii, &c., in June, and again from August to April. The butterfly is figured at 

 PI. 14, Fig. II. 



45- P. Balcanica (Freyer). — Male pale vioiet-blue, with several black spots on the fore-wings. 

 Female brown, with indistinct greyish and whitish markings. Hind-wings with a short tail. 

 Under side white, with verj' numerous black lines and spots ; hind-wings with a marginal row of 

 metallic green spots. Inhabits Turkey and Asia Minor in July and August. 



46. P. Telicamis (Lang.). — Male violet-blue, with small black spots at the anal angle of the 

 hind-wings ; female brown, blue at the base, with some faint black markings outside the blue 

 portion of the wings. Hind-wings with a long slender tail. Under side brownish-grey, covered 

 with waved whitish transverse lines ; hind-wings with two black dots dusted with silver, and 

 enclosed in orange rings, at the anal angle. It inhabits the shores of the Mediterranean through- 

 out the fine season, and is met with occasionally in Germany in July and August, and, like 

 P. Trocldlus, is also found in South Africa. Expands about i inch. The larva is purplish-red, with 

 a dark line on the back and brownish oblique streaks. It lives on the flowers of Lythrum 

 salicaria in August and September. 



47. P. Bccticus (Linn.). — Male violet-blue, with two large black spots at the anal angle of the 

 hind-wings ; female brown, blue only at the base of the fore-wings and at the inner margin of 

 the hind-wings. Under side pale brown, with numerous nearly straight white streaks, which are 

 shorter on the basal part of the fore-wings, not extending beyond the discoidal cell ; hind-wings 

 with a much broader submarginal white band than in Telicamis, outside of which are two large 

 black spots at the anal angle, edged below with metallic green, and broadly surrounded with 

 orange. Expands about i^ inches. It is met with in June and July, and its range is even more 

 extensive than that of Telicamis, as it is found everywhere in Europe south of the Alps, and all 

 over Africa, Western Asia, and the East Indies. On the other hand, it is scarcely ever found 

 north of the Alps, except in France, though it occasionally extends its range as far as the 

 Channel Islands, and has even been met with once or twice on the south coast of England. 

 Larva green or dark reddish-brown, with a dark line on the back. There are also a pale line 

 and pale oblique streaks on the sides. It lives in the pods of peas, of Colutea arborcscens, and 

 other leguminous plants, in June and July. 



14 



