LYC^NA ARGIOLUS. 197 



drawn together the loose earth with a few threads of silk, 

 there turned. The anterior part of the chrysalis and the 

 wing-cases are dull pale green, while the posterior part is 

 dingy yellow. The abdomen is covered with very short hairs. 



The costal and hind margins of the fore-wings of the 

 imago (Figs. 225 to 227) are very slightly convex; all the 

 margins are entire. The fringe is white, with dark marks 

 at the end of the nervures. The upper surface of the 

 male (Fig. 226) is very pale silvery-blue, becoming dark 

 brown towards the hind-margin, with a series of dark dots 

 inside the same margin, fairly distinct on the hind-wings. 

 The upper surface of the female (Fig. 227) is dark smoky- 

 brown, with a small discoidal black spot on each fore- 

 wing, and a marginal series of red spots, which are 

 somewhat indistinct on the fore- wings, but on the hind- 

 wings are black-centred and bounded above with black 

 arches. The blue scales with which the base of the 

 wings of the female are sprinkled are of the same tint 

 as the blue of the male. On the under-surface (Fig. 225) 

 the markings can scarcely be distinguished from those 

 of L. bellarguS) but possibly the markings of L. corydon 

 may be a little less distinct, and the black spots on 

 the fore-wings may be a little larger than is the case 

 with L. bellargus. 



L. argiolus, Linn. (Azure Blue or the Holly Blue) 

 (Figs. 228 to 231), commences the division of the Blues 

 from which the red spots are absent. Its home is in 

 the south of England, but it has been found in Durham 

 and the Lake Districts. 



The eggs are laid on the flower-stalks of Holly-flowers 

 (Ilex Aquifoliuni), on the Ivy (Hedera Helix\ and 

 probably on the Alder Buckthorn (Rhamnus Frangula\ 

 the Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea\ and the Spindle-tree 

 (Euonymus europceus). There are two broods usually, 



