134 



COMMON BLUE. 



PLATE LXII. 



Polyommatus Alexis, Latreille. Stephens. Curtis. 



" " Wood. Duncan. Westwood. 



" Labicnus, Jermyn, {var.^ 



" Thestylis, Jermyn, {var.') 



" Lacon, Jermyn, {var.) 



" dubius, KiRBY, MSS., {var.^ 



Papilio Alexis, Hubner. Wiener. 



" Argus, Wilkes. Donovan. Harris. 



" Hyacinthtis, Lewin. Haworth, {var.) 



" Icarus, ViLLAR-s. Haworth. Lewin. 



Lycana Dorvlas, Leach. Samouelle. 



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

 be distributed throughout the kingdom. 



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

 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 Copj)er 

 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 after its birth, we find the margins 

 of its wings torn and jagged, the elegant blue rubbed from the wings." 



