WONFOR, ON BUTTERFLY SCALES. 81 



would consider the brown-coloured ones a distinct species ; 

 in fact, one often hears the remark made, " Are you sure they 

 are blues V Now, this difference of colour may have led to 

 the ordinary error that the " battledore " is found on the 

 "blues," for undoubtedly it is found only on the blue- 

 coloured males. Curiously enough these " battledore " scales 

 are placed in rows, under the ordinary scales, and at the in- 

 tervals, as in fig. 10 ; so that, if the ordinary scales be re- 

 moved from the upper portion of the wings, the " battledores " 

 will be found arranged in rows, plentifully on the fore wings, 

 but more sparsely on the hinder wings. I have examined 

 P. alexis, PL I, fig. 1 (common blue) ; P. argiolus, fig. 2 

 (azure blue) ; P. acis, fig. o (mazarine blue) ; P. corydon, 

 fig. 4 (Chalk-Hill blue) ; P. adonis, fig. 5 (Clifden blue) ; 

 P. argus, fig. 6 (silver-studded blue) ; P. arion, fig. 7 (large 

 blue) ; P. alsus, fig. 8 (Bedford, or little blue) ; and P. boetica, 

 fig. 9 (tailed, or Brighton blue) ; and in each case found them 

 only on the upper surface of the wings of the males, and 

 arranged, as before mentioned, in rows ; in the case of im- 

 battered and Avell-preserved insects in about equal propor- 

 tions with ordinary scales. As might, perhaps, be expected, 

 the battledores differ in size, shape, length of blade or handle, 

 according to the particular species, and, perhaps, might be 

 used as adjuncts in determining varieties sometimes met 

 with. I am anxious to obtain an hermaphrodite form of the 

 common blue P. alexis, as figured in ' Humphrey and West- 

 wood's Butterflies,' in which one side is of the character of 

 the ordinary blue male, the other of the brownish female. 



Thus far with the " blues " my observations have ■ proved 

 that the " battledore " is characteristic of sex. I had a con- 

 firmation of this in the case of the " tailed blue." A collector 

 had sup^jlied me Avith portions of wings of one of these in- 

 sects, but was uncertain whether from males or females. I 

 examined all Avithout finding any trace of a battledore ; but 

 the next day, obtaining from him an undoubted male, I 

 found at once any number of battledores. 



By reference to figs. 1 — 9, all drawn to the same scale 

 (/^40 diam.), it Avill be seen how great a difference exists in 

 form and size ; thus figs. 4 and 7 are from the Chalk-Hill 

 and large blue respectively, the two largest British ; while 

 fig. 8 is from not only the smallest blue, but our smallest 

 butterfly. 



To turn noAV to the whites, or genus Pontia or Pieris. I 

 had found the two forms of "tasseled" scales, or those 

 having a brush-like termination, figured in the ' Micro- 

 graphic Dictionary,' on males of the large and small cabbage 



