le 



g^ BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 



This species, in tlie similarity of the markings in the two sexes, the greater length of the tails of the hind wings, 

 and in the circnmstance of there being several broods in the course of the summer, is aberrant from the general 

 characteristics of the genus. This is one of our most elegant and active butterflies, frequenting pasture-lands, 

 commons, heaths, &c., and keeping up a continual warfare with its fellows. Its beautiful appearance in tl 

 glowing sunshine, especially when contrasted with the colours of the flowers on which it delights to settle, renders 

 it conspicuous to every passenger. 



There is considerable variation in the intensity and extent of the copper markings of this species. In addition 

 to these ordinary variations, three other more striking varieties have been found : one, in which the copper band 

 of the hind wings is quite obliterated ; another, in wdiich the copper colour on both surfaces of the wings is 

 replaced by milk-white (of which variety there is a specimen in the collection of the Entomological Society of 

 London from the cabinet of Mr. Kirby) ; and a third (figured in our plate 28, fig. 8), in which, on the contrary, 

 it is the black portion of the wings which is replaced by milk-white. 



SPECIES 2.— CHRYSOPHANUS CHRYSEIS. THE PURPLE-EDGED COPPER BUTTERFLY. 



Phitc xxviii. fig. 1 — 3. 



Synonymks.— //fSjoeriff Chrtjseis, Fabri.ins. CItri/saphrnins Chri/seis, Iliiluier (Vcrz. bck. Schmctt.) 



Papi/io Chrtjseis, Ilaviortli ; Sowciby, Biitisli MiscelL, 1, pi. 13. Papilio Hipji(>thae,var., Es]icr, pi. fii, fig. 1. 



LyciBna Chryseis, Odiseiilieimcr ; Stcplicns ; nuiican, Biit. Butt., Pap. Eurydicc, Borkhausen. 

 pi. 3U, fis. 1. \\\>oA, Ind. Entom., t. 2, f. 57. 



The expansion of the wings of this handsome species is about two inches and a half The upper side of the 



wino-s in the male is of a shining copper colour, of a redder tint than in C. Phla\as. At the extremity of the 



discoidal cell in all the wings is a slender black bar ; the hind margin is bro^vll, within which, as well as along 



the front edge of the fore wings, is suflfused a rich purple tint, wliieh extends also along the anal edge of the 



hind wings, which in that part have the ground colour of a brown hue, which extends in a broad margin along 



the extremity of these wings, having an ill-defined series of copper spots near the anal angle. The female, on 



the contrary, has the disc of the fore wrings, above, of a dull copper colour without any gloss, and with the edges 



brown ; there is also a dot in the middle, and a bar at the extremity of the discoidal cell, a curved bar of six 



brown spots beyond the middle of the fore wings, and a more indistinct row of smaller spots nearer the margin ; 



the disc of the hind wings is entirely brown, with a nai'row bar of dull orange near the anal angle, spotted with 



brown both above and below. Beneath, both sexes are alike, except that the fore wings of the female have the 



disc more suft'uscd with orange. The ground colour of all the wings on this surface is ashy drab, with the 



margins more gi'cy, and the base more slate-coloured or bluish : the fore wings have about seventeen black s]iots 



of variable size, ocellated with white ; the three anterior ones placed longitudinally, the third being transverse, 



succeeded by seven in a curved series, the remainder more indistinct, and running pai'allel with the extremity of 



the wing : each of the hind wings is marked with about thirty similar ocellated spots, those at the base of the 



wings being scattered- about, whilst the others arc arranged in transverse curved bands, those upon the margin 



of the wing being almost obsolete : between these and the preceding row of spots, the wings are dashed with 



orange near the anal angle. There i,s, however, considerable diversity in the ground colour of the wings beneath, 



as well as in the number of spots: the specimen figured, for example, in the upper part of our jdate 28 has fewer 



than the ordinary number of ocellated spots. 



