L YCAZNID.E. . 87 



the usual marginal spots as in the female ; its under side is 

 also female. On the under side the variation is gi'eater, in the 

 partial or total absence of the black ocellated spots (except 

 the central one, which is. as usual, permanent), in the colour, 

 which varies from white to tawny grey or dark smoky grey, 

 and in alteration of the black spots into wedges, or ovals, 

 or long stripes, single or confluent, or even differing on the 

 two sides of the same insect. In some the blue suffusion on 

 the upper side is similarly irregular, occurring on one side 

 only. Mr. Briggs has a female in which the discal spot of 

 the upper side of the fore wings is pure white ; Mr. Webb, a 

 male which shows a broad band of clouded an-ow-head mark- 

 ings on the under side of oar hind wing, and a gynandrous 

 specimen so complete that even the body is divided in colour — 

 blue on one side, brown on the other. 



Single-brooded, from the middle of July to the end of 

 August. 



Larva similar to that of P. Adonis in shape and in mark- 

 ings, differing from it only in that the colour is of a lighter, 

 yellower green, the yellow markings paler, and the hairs 

 light brown. On Hippocrcpis comosa (Horse-shoe vetch) in 

 l\Iay and June. Said also to feed on other papilionaceous 

 plants, and, indeed, must do so, since it is found where no 

 Hippocreins grows. Fond of hiding among the roots of its 

 food plant in the daytime, crawling up to feed at sunset. 

 Professor Zeller found it in Germany feeding on Coronilln 

 varia. Other recorded food-plants are species of Lotus, 

 Anthyllis and Trifolinm. 



PrrA brownish-green, unattached, on or under the ground. 



A very beautiful insect, of a colour difficult to depict or 

 describe, and rarely to be seen in nature. I have seen the 

 same colour in the sky in the late twilight of a stormy day, 

 in the patches of pale bine visible between heavy clouds, but 

 no flower and hardly any other insect seems to possess it. 

 No doubt the peculiarity arises largely from the presence of 



