MAZARINE BLUE BUTTERFLY. 231 



the wings. The under side is ash coloured, with a 

 discoidal black crescent, edged with white, on each 

 wing, and a transverse series of ocellated dots to- 

 wards the hinder margin ; on the hinder wings this 

 series is very in-egular, and there are several scat- 

 tered spots towards the base. Fringe of the wings 

 white. 



This delicate little butterfly, the smallest of the 

 European Polyommati^ seems to occur, but not in 

 great abundance, in most parts of the kingdom. Nu- 

 merous localities, scattered over the southern parts of 

 England, have been cited for it. Mr VVailes informs 

 us that it is common on the magnesian limestone 

 district near Newcastle : it is also found in woods 

 near Durham ; and we have seen specimens from 

 most of the southern counties of Scotland. 



MAZARINE BLUE BUTTERFLY. 



Polyommatus Acts. 



PLATE XXXI. Fig. 4^ 



Polyommatus Acis, Stephens — Pap. Cymon, Lewin, pi. 38- 

 f. 6. & 7 — Polyom. Cymon, Jermyn — Lycaena Cymon, 

 Leach — Pap. Argiolus, Huhner. 



Expands about 13 or H lines, the male deep blue 

 above, glossed with violet, having a narrow black 

 border to all the wings, and a white fringe. The 



