LYC^NA ARGIADES. 251 



on this point may be obtained from continental collectors where 

 argiades is abundant. 



The following is a short description of the two specimens now 

 recorded : — 



Lyc^na argiades, Pall. 



Kirby's 'European Butterflies and Moths,' p. 58, pi. 14, 

 fig. 11:- 



Male. — Width, 12f lines; upper wings much more rounded 

 than those of L. icarus, and rather more than those of L. cegon. 

 Colour lilac-blue, lighter or darker according to the incidence of 

 the light upon the wings, and narrowly edged with black ; the 

 hinder wings have a small prominent point on the hind margin, 

 near the inner corner, continued in a small, slender, but quite 

 distinct, black, white-fringed tail ; outside the tail, near to and 

 parallel with the margin of the wing, are two not very distinct 

 black spots. The wings are somewhat transparent, and the 

 nervures are distinctly marked by fine dusky black lines ; the 

 fringes of the wings are pretty perfect, and appear to be a mixture 

 of black and white. All the wings are dusky blackish towards 

 the margins, but not distinctly bordered like L. iegon. The 

 under side is whitish gray, silvery blue towards their insertion in 

 the thorax ; two distinct orange spots edged above with black are 

 placed about the middle of the hind margin on the under side 

 of the posterior wings, one of these (immediately above the tail) 

 has a largish distinct black spot at its base ; a few small black 

 spots are scattered over the rest of the under side of the posterior 

 wings, and a row of others, some of which are rather elongate, 

 runs parallel with the outer margin of the anterior wings, and 

 between this row and the margin, and also parallel with it, are 

 some indistinct dusk}^ markings. 



Female. — Width, 13 lines. Upper wings dusky blackish 

 brown, sprinkled with some lilac scales towards their base ; 

 lower wings similai-, but with more of the lilac scales, whicli 

 form a kind of broad and widening lilac band from the base to 

 tlie outer margin ; a black spot occurs close to the " tail," with a 

 round orange spot immediately above it. The tail is similar to 

 that of the male. 



I gather from Kirby's ' European Butterflies and Moths ' that 

 the male also usually has an orange spot visible on the upper 



