130 



SMALL COPPER. 



COMJIOK COPPER. COMMON SMALL COPPER. 

 PLATE LV. 



Lyctena Phheas, 



PcqjiUo PJilceas, 



ChrysopJianus Pldceas, 

 PolT/ommatus JPhlcBas, 



FaBRICITIS. OcHSE^"HEIMEE. LeACH. 



Stephens. Curtis. Duncan. Wood. 

 LiNNJEus. Haworth. Lewin. 

 Donovan. Harris. 



HUBNER. WesTWOOD. 

 BoiSDUVAL. 



This butterfly occurs tlirougliout Europe, and in Asia, and 

 also, or a closely allied species, in America. 



It is a common insect with us, and generally distributed 

 throughout the country. It is an exceedingly elegant object on 

 the wing, as it flits from flower to flower, its showy colour, 

 though it is so small, attracting the eye. It seems to be fond 

 of attacking and fighting with any of its fellows that approaches, 

 but the difference may be more apparent than real — a mere 

 "passage of arms" essayed in the exuberance of the happiness 

 of the ephemeral little creature. 



There are two or three broods in the year, and they appear 

 early in April, in June, and in August. 



The caterpillar feeds on the sorrel, ( Oxalis acetosella.J 



The fore wings, wdiich expand from a little over an inch 

 to a little over one and a quarter, are of a resplendent copper- 

 colour, with from eight to ten black spots of diflerent sizes 

 and shapes on their central part; of these, the two or three 

 nearest to the base of the wing are j)h^ced transversely. The 

 front edge of the wing is narrowly margined wdth brown, and 

 the outer edge broadly so; the fringe is buff". The hind wings 

 are dark blackish brown, with a copper bar at the lower side, 



