AND TIIKTR TRANSFORMATIONS. IQ3 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XXXII. 



Insects. — Fig. 1. Polynmraatus Arion (tin- large blue Butterfly). 2. The fnuale. 3. Showin;,' tlu- under side. • 



,, Fig. 4. Polyommatus AlcdU (the Alcon blue Butterfly). 5. The feni.ile. 6. Showing the under side. 



Plants. — Figs. 7 and 8. Thfolium fragiferum (the strawberry-headed Trefoil). 



P. Arion is drawn from specimens in the cabinet of IMr. Stephens. P. Alron from the accurate figure i>f llul)ner, as I was unable to procure 

 a well authenticated British specimen. It is not ascertained what jdants the larv:e of these two species feed upon, and the larvee themselves arc 

 yet unliuown. It is probable, however, that the Caterpillar of P. Arion fteds upon some species of Trefoil, and as the perfect insect is found in 

 marshy meadows, I have grouped it with a plant of the singular Tiii'oliuin fVagiferum, nhiLh grows in such situations. H. N. U. 



SPECIES 4.— POLYOMMATUS ALCON. THE ALCON BLUE BUTTERFLY. 



Pliite xxxii. fin;. 4 — G. 



Argus Alcon, Boisduval, Icon. Hist. LepiJ., vol. pi. 13, f. I — ^. 

 Papilio Areas. Espir. Schmctt. t. 34. Suppl. 10, fig. 4, 5. 

 Papilio Dioiiicdes, Borkliausen, 

 Hesperia Argiades, F.ibrir-ius ? 



Synon\'mes. — Hesperia Alcon, F.-ibricius. 

 Papilio Alcon, Hubner, Pap. pi. 55, f. 263, 4 — 5. 

 LyccEna Alcon, Ocbsenbeimer, Schmett. v. Europa 1, p. 7, Xo. 3- 

 Polyommalus Alcon, Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. t. 53, fig. 1(5. 

 Duncan, Brit. Butt. pi. 32, fig. 2. 



This species appears to be intermediate between V. Acis and Arion. The expansion of the fore wings is about 

 an inch and a half. The upper side of the wings in the male is of a shining violet-blue, the middle vein and the 

 costal margin having a silvery- white tinge ; the extremity of all the wings is ornamented ^vith a rather broader 

 blackish border, the fringe being white, the discoidal cell of the fore wings is sometimes closed by a thin blackish 

 transverse streak. The under side of all the wings is of a darkish ashy-grey colour, with the base suffused with 

 blue ; each is marked at the extremity of the discoidal cell with a black crescent bordered with white, half-way 

 between which and the extremity of the wings is a sinuous row of black spots, each encircled with yellowish-grey ; 

 between this row of spots and the outer margin of the wings is another series of black ocellated dots, succeeded 

 close to the margin by a row of almost obsolete lunules. There are also two or three ocellated spots near the 

 base of the wings. The fringe is white above, but spotted with black beneath. 



The female differs in having the upper surface of the wings strongly suffused with black along the anterior 

 and outer edges of the fore wings, and leaving a large patch along the inner edge of the fore wings, and the disk 

 of the hinder wings saturated with blue; in addition to this, there is a transverse black line at the end of the 

 discoidal cell, and a row of black spots between the latter and the outer margin of the wing ; the fringe of the 

 female is of a reddish-grey colour. The hind wings also hear a nearly obsolete series of black spots between the 

 middle and the hind margin. 



This species, which is abundant in some parts of France and other Continental districts, has been introduced 

 by Mr. Stephens into the British lists, on the authority of a specimen formerly in Mr. Ilaworth's collection, 

 captured by the late Mr. Jones, in Buckinghamshire many years since. Mr. Stephens, however, suggests that 

 Mr. Haworth's specimen may prove to be only an extraordinary variety of Pol. Anon. 



p -' 



