AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. jOg 



This species also appears to bo subject to gynandromorpliism 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 fifrure 11 ; other in.stanccs are 

 recorded in the Annales de la Societc' 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 difl'orcnt grasses. The 

 wild liquorice and wild strawberry are also mentioned by BIr. 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 Aumist. It 

 frequents meadows, grassy places at the sides of lanes, and pasture-lands. Jlr. 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 sufixT any of its tril)e to cross its path, or approach the flower 

 on which it sits, witli 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 dei)rivcs 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." — Journal of a 

 Naturalist, p. 277- 



SPECIES y.— POLYOMMATUS ARGUS. THE SILVER-STUDDED BLUE BUTTERFLY. 



Plate xxxiv. fi);. 1 — 6. 



Synonymes. — Papilio Argus, Linnjeus, F.aun. Suec. 1074 ; Li-uiii, 

 Pap. pi. 39, fig. •5—7 : Haworth. (not P. Argus of Donovan, vol. 4, 

 pi. 143 $ , whicli is the male of P. Alexis). 



Hesperia Argus^ Fabricius. 



LyctEtia ^r(/«s, Leacli, Ochsenb., Hiibncr Pap. tab. ()4, f. 31b', 

 $, 317, 318, 9. 



Polyomviatus Argus, Stephens, Duncan Brit. Butt, pi. 3.i, fig. 3. 

 Wood, Ind. Ent. t. 2, fig. 71. 



Lycceides Argus, Hiibner (Verz. bek. Schmett.) 



Papilio Idas, Linnants, Faun. Suec. 1075 (female), (P. Argus (8. 



Linn. S. N. 2, 7.^)0), not P. Idas of Lenin, Donovan, and Haworth, 

 which is P. .Agestis. 



Hesperia Acreon, Fabricius (variety?) 



Papilio Argyrognomon, Borkbauseu (vaiicty.^) 



Papilio Argiades, Espcr, Papil. I, pi. 101, cont. 56, fig. « 

 (variety). 



Polyommalus Alcippe, Kiiby's manuscripts, in Mus. Ent. Soc. 

 Lond. (variety.) 



Polyommatus maritimws, Ilaworth's manuscripts (variety). 



Pap. Leodarus, Espcr. Pap. 1, pi. 80, cont. 30, fig. 1, 2 (variety). 



This pretty butterfly generally measures about an inch and ;i quarter in the expansion of the wings, which have 

 the upper surface, in tlie male, of a fine, deep, lilacy blue, with the front margin of tiie anterior pair silvery white ; 

 of which colour also are the hairs on the wings, especially in the hind pair. The apical margin of all the wings on 

 this side is broad and black, the dark colour slightly ascending along the veins into the disk of the wing, and m the 

 hind wings assuming the appearance of oval, marginal spots. The cilia>, 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 antcnna3 are black, with white 

 rings, the upper side of the club black, and the lower fine orange. Beneath, the wings in this se.x are of a j.ale 



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