NATURAL HISTORY. Ixix 



to believe that several species have been detected in the Polar Regions, I have care- 

 fully described it and given it a name. 



M. Tarqiiinius was an abundant species, and like the Coliades was found feeding on 

 the flowers of Oxytropis Campestris and O. Arctica ; specimens were captured on the 

 10th of June, and between the 2d and 14th of July, 1830, they were most abundant; 

 in 1831 the first butterfly seen was one of this species; this was the 10th of July, and 

 on the 14th two more were taken. Commander Ross was so fortunate as to discover 

 the caterpillar apparently of this species, from its structure resembling those larvae that 

 are known of the European Melitaeos. " I do not know the caterpillar of any of the 

 butterflies, unless it be that of the Melitaea, of which I made the following description. 

 It measured exactly an inch in length, by 0.22 of an inch, it was composed of thirteen 

 segments besides the hindermost one ; the first and last segments with two, the second 

 and twelfth segments with four, and all the other segments of the body with six 

 prickles or horns, and disposed in rows and equidistant on each side of the back. 

 Colour dark brown, with a line of white spots along each side. Some caterpillars 

 I have seen entirely of a blackish-brown, or rather brownish-black ; one that was found 

 under a stone in the middle of March, and of course perfectly hard frozen, showed 

 symptoms of life in half an hour after being brought into the cabin, and in less than 

 an hour it was walking about the table. It is thus described in my note book, and 

 difiers so much from the others, that it probably belongs to another species. Length 

 0.75 of an inch ; three rows of prickles on each side of the back ; twelve ribs or seg- 

 ments and a white dorsal hne along the back ; colour above brownish-black, beneath 

 clove-brown." It possibly may be the same caterpillar in an earlier stage, as the 

 different skins vary considerably. 



Gen. 779.— POLYOMMATUS. {Lat.) 



15. Fia)il;/iiiii. Silvery grey, with a black ocellated dot on the centre of eacli 

 wing, beneath brown, with numerous white spots, those on the upper wing with large 

 black pupils, in the under wings with only small ones or none. 



Expansion from eleven to thirteen lines. 



PI. A, figs. 8 and 9. 



Black with bluish hairs, palpi bluish white, margins of eyes silvery white ; antenna- 

 dotted with white, club orange, excepting the back ; wings greyish powdered with 

 silvery green, especially at the base, the spots on the underside slightly visible, a black 

 spot on the disc on each wing witli a whitish margin ; the edges of the wings fuscous, 



