EPINEPHELE HYPERANTHES. 155 



rich sienna-brown, usually darker in the male. The wings 

 are broadly bordered with brown, of which there is also 

 a patch at the base of the hind-wings. In the male a 

 band of the same colour stretches nearly across the fore- 

 wings almost parallel to the hind-margin. Near the tip 

 of the fore-wings is a black eye-spot with two white 

 eyes, and sometimes between this spot and the inner 

 margin may be seen one or two black spots, evidently 

 an indication of the more numerous eye-spots in some 

 other butterflies of this group. There is usually a small 

 white-centred eye-spot near the anal angle of the hind- 

 wings, and occasionally one or two black spots as 

 on the fore-wings. Specimens taken with these extra 

 spots should of course be preserved. On the under- 

 surface (Fig. 166) the colouring of the fore-wings closely 

 resembles that of the upper surface. On the hind-wings, 

 the base and the centre of the hind-margin are brown ; 

 the rest of the wing is greyish-brown, containing about 

 five rather indistinct brown eye-spots with white eyes. 



E. hyperanthes, Linn. (Ringlet, or Wood Ringlet) 

 (Figs. 168 to 171), is a dark butterfly, about equal in size 

 to ianira, and often seen flying with it. It is not, 

 however, found everywhere, like ianira, though it is 

 common, and widely distributed. It may be obtained in 

 the southern part of Scotland and in Ireland, as well as 

 locally throughout England. E. hyperanthes haunts woods 

 and shady hedge-rows. It may be easily caught, for its 

 flight is very weak, but specimens for the cabinet should 

 be taken as soon as possible after they have left the 

 chrysalis, for scarcely any butterfly so quickly loses its 

 freshness as the one before us. Owing to the great varia- 

 tion in the eye-spots, a rather long series will be required. 



The eggs are laid singly in July and August on 

 various species of grass. The young larva grows but 



