143 



COMMON BLUE. 



PLATE LXI. 



Polijommatus Alexis, 



Poh/ommatus Lahienus, 

 Polyommatus TliestyUs, 

 Polijommalus Lacon, 

 Polyommatus duhiiis, 

 Papilio Alexis, 

 Papilio Argus, 

 Papilio Hi/acinthas, 

 Papilio Icarus, 

 LyccEiia Dorylas, 



Latreille. Stephens. Curtis. 

 Wood. Duncan. "VYestwood. 

 Jermyn, (var.) 

 Jeumtn. (var.) 

 Jermyn, (i-nr.) 

 KiRBY. MSS., (var.) 



HuBNER. Wiener. 



WiLKs. Donovan. Harris. 



Lewin. Haworth. (var.) 



Villars. Haworth. Lewin. 



Leach. Samouelle. 



This is one of the commonest of our native species, and 

 appears to be distributed tliroughout the kingdom. 



In the "Journal of a Naturalist," it is thus accurately noticed 

 bv Mr. Knapp: — "We have few more zealous and pugnacious 

 insects than this little elegant butterfly, noted and admired by 

 all. When fully animated, it will not suffer any of its tribe 

 to cross its path, or approach the flower on which it sits, with 

 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 wherever 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 

 deprives it of much of its beauty; and unless captured soon 



