—— ee ee 
AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS, 109 
This species also appears to be subject to gynandromorphism to a greater degree than any other of our 
butterflies, although this is probably owing to its being a more abundant species. Several instances of this are 
contained in the British Museum Cabinet, one of which is represented in our figure 11; other instances are 
recorded in the Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, The Field Naturalist, &c. 
The caterpillar is slightly pubescent, and of a bright green colour, with a dark dorsal line, adjoining to which 
are rows of yellow spots. It is found at the end of April and of July, and feeds upon different grasses. The 
wild liquorice and wild strawberry are also mentioned by Mr. Stephens as its food. 
This common insect seems to be distributed over all parts of the kingdom, and is double-brooded, the first 
appearing about the end of May (but later in the northern parts of the country), and the second in August. It 
frequents meadows, grassy places at the sides of lanes, and pasture-lands. Mr. Knapp thus describes some of its 
habits :—“‘ We have few more zealous and pugnacious insects than this little elegant butterfly, noted and 
admired by all. When fully animated, it will not suffer any of its tribe to cross its path, or approach the flower 
on which it sits, with impunity ; even the large admirable Atalanta at these times it will assail and drive away. 
Constant warfare is also kept up between it and the small copper butterfly ; and whenever these diminutive 
creatures come near each other, they dart into action, and continue buffeting one another about till one retires 
from the contest, when the victor returns in triumph to the station he had left. Should the enemy again 
advance, the combat is renewed; but should a cloud obscure the sun, or a breeze chill the air, their ardour 
becomes abated, and contention ceases. The pugnacious disposition of the Argus butterfly soon deprives it of 
much of its beauty; and unless captured soon after its birth, we find the margins of its wings torn and jagged, 
the elegant blue plumage rubbed from the wings, and the creature become dark and shabby.”—Jowrnal of a 
Naturalist, p. 277. 

SPECIES 9.—POLYOMMATUS ARGUS. THE SILVER-STUDDED BLUE BUTTERFLY. 
Plate xxxiv. fig. 1—6. 

Synonymes.— Papilio Argus, Linnzus, Faun. Suec. 1074; Lewin, Linn. S. N. 2, 790), not P. Idas of Lewin, Donovan, and Haworth, 
Pap. pl. 39, fig. 5—7: Haworth. (not P. Argus of Donovan, vol. 4, | which is P. Agestis. 
pl. 143 4, which is the male of P. Alexis). Hesperia Acreon, Fabricius (variety?) 
Hesperia Argus, Fabricius. | Papilio Argyrognomon, Borkhausen (variety ?) 
Lycena Argus, Leach, Ochsenh., Hiibner Pap. tab.’ 64, f. 316, Papilio Argiades, Esper, Papil. 1, pl. 101, cont. 56, fig. 6 
g, 317, 318, O. (variety). 
Polyommatus Argus, Stephens, Duncan Brit. Butt. pl. 33, fig. 3. Polyommatus Alcippe, Kirby’s manuscripts, in Mus. Ent. Soc. 
Wood, Ind. Ent. t. 2, fig. 71. Lond. (variety.) 
Lyc@ides Argus, Hiibner (Verz. bek. Schmett. ) Polyommatus maritimus, Haworth’s manuscripts (varicty). 
Papilio Idas, Linnxus, Faun. Suec. 1075 (female), (P. Argus B. | Pap. Leodorus, Esper. Pap. 1, pl. 80, cont. 30, fig. 1, 2 (variety). 
This pretty butterfly generally measures about an inch and a quarter in the expansion of the wings, which have 
the upper surface, in the male, of a fine, deep, lilacy blue, with the front margin of the anterior pair silvery white ; 
i i i ially i > hi ir > apical margin of all the wings on 
of which colour also are the hairs on the wings, especially in the hind pair. The apical margin of all t g 
this side is broad and black, the dark colour slightly ascending along the veins into the disk of the wing, and in the 
hind wings assuming the appearance of oval, marginal spots. The ciliz, both above and below, are white, a very 
slight black spot at the extremity of each of the veins being alone visible at the base of the fringe ; the body above 
is clothed with silvery and blue hairs, the eyes are margined with white, and the antenne are black, with white 
rings, the upper side of the club black, and the lower fine orange. Beneath, the wings in this sex are of a pale 
Q 
