jjg BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 



by a dusky line : tlie posterior wings have several wliite spots towards the base ; a larger discoldal one, a curved 

 irregular row of white tuberculated spots beyond the middle, with a broad patch of white connecting the middle 

 spots with the submarginal band of fulvous spots, which are similar in their markings to the corresponding row of 

 the fore wings : the white subocellated spots on this side of the wings have the middle marked more conspicuously 

 with a dusky spot in the females than in the males. 



Mr. Stephens' short description of this species is as follows ; — " Alis fusco-nigris, subtus fuscescentibus inaculis 

 subocellatis, anticis supra in masculis puncto discoidali atro, in foeminis albo ; posticis utrinque fascia subniar- 

 ginali rubra ; " and BIr. Wailes, an acute entomologist, resident upon the spot where the species occurs, namely. 

 Castle Eden Dean, near Durham, (it also occurs in the magnesian limestone district, near Newcastle,) entirely 

 coincides with Mr. Stephens in considering it as a distinct species, observing, however, that Mr. S.'s description is 

 not quite correct, since out of at least 150 specimens, the variety with the black spot forms two-thirds of the 

 whole ; and that neither sex possesses exclusively either the white or black spot ; though the majority of the 

 former variety are males. (Entomol. Mag. i. p. 42.) He further states that this butterfly appears to be 

 confined to the sea-banks, having only seen a few stragglers so far from the coast as half a mile. It appears 

 in July. 



SPECIES 15.— POLYOMMATUS ARTAXERXES. THE SCOTCH ARGUS. 



Plate xx.wii. tig. 4 — 6. 



Synonvmes. — Hesperia Artaxerxes, Fabricius ; Leivin, I'ap., pi. I Argus Artaxerxes, Boisduval, Icon. Hist. Lep., pi. 14, fig. 7 — R. 



39, fig. 8— 9. Hawoiili; Donovan, Brit. Ins., v. 16, pi. 541 /■rt/ynmmn/lws yl»-to,r«r.«s, Stephens ; Jcrmyn ; Wood, Ind. Ent., 



(Papilio Art.) pi. 3, f. 74 and 13. Duncan, Brit. Bntt., pi. 34, fig. 4. 



Lycanu Artaxerxes, Leacli. ' 



This species is closely allied to the preceding, if, indeed, it be not a local variety of it. It varies in the expanse 

 of the wings from an inch to an inch and a sixth. Tlie upper surface of the wings in both sexes is of a silky- 

 blackish brown colour, with the anterior margin very slender and white, and a small white spot at the extremit)^ 

 of the discoidal cell ; and in a few instances, a similar minute white spot occurs on the disk of the hind wings above. 

 There is also a submarginal row of small orange-red marks on all the wings, although they are often almost, or 

 even entirely obsolete in the fore wings. The fringe is white, slightly marked with brown at the base opposite 

 to the extremity of the veins. The under side of the wings is of a greyish brown ; the anterior wings having a 

 large round patch at the extremity of the discoidal coll, succeeded by a sliyhtl!/ currcd row of white oval spots : 

 beyond this is a row of fulvous spots, bounded within by dusky crescents, edged with white, and terminating in 

 round black spots ; beyond which is a slender bar of white immediately preceding the slender dark margin which 

 is dilated at the extremity of the veins. The under side of the fore wings is marked by four white spots, forming 

 an oblique line at the base ; the spot at the extremity of the discoidal cull is white, and of transverse-oval form, 

 emitting a minute straight branch from its outer edge ; near this, on the costa of the hind wings, are two white 

 spots, and there are six others, forming an interruiited white bar beyond the middle of the wings, those in the 

 centre being confluent, and thus forming a larger white patch ; the margin of this pair of wings is ornamented 

 with fulvous spots and other markings, exactly corresponding with those on the margin of the fore wings. 



The female, as in Agestis, closely resembles the male, but the submarginal row of fulvous spots is generally 

 larger and more extended into the fore wings than in the male. The upper side of the antenna' is like that of 

 Agestis, except that the extremity of the club is reddish ; their under side is almost entirely whitish. 



