220 THE BOOK OF BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



is a rather conspicuous concavity ; the fringe is pale yellow. 

 The ground-colour of the upper surface is a bright orange- 

 brown, edged with a considerable width of brown along 

 the hind-margin. The same colour is also found at the 

 base of the hind-wings and even of the fore-wings of 

 the female (Fig. 261), leaving the bright orange more or 

 less as a series of spots, except on the fore-wings of 

 the male, where there is a considerable patch of this 

 lighter colour, crossed by the black streak which distin- 

 guishes the male (Fig. 260) from the female. The 

 nervures are black. On the under-surface (Fig. 259) the 

 ground-colour is lighter and the markings are diffused. 

 There is a dark mark near the base of the fore-wings 

 in both sexes. The antennae are hooked. 



H. comma, Linn. (Silver-spotted Skipper) (Figs. 262 

 to 264), closely resembles the last, but is more brightly 

 and distinctly marked, especially on the under-surface. 

 It is not nearly so common as H. sylvanus, being chiefly 

 restricted to the southern part of England. Its life- 

 history, too, is not well known. 



The eggs are laid late in the summer and hatch about 

 March in the next year. The larvae are said to feed on 

 the Bird's-foot (Ornithopus perpusillus) and the Bird's-foot 

 Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus\ and possibly on other plants 

 of the order Leguminosa. The imago appears in July or 

 the next month. 



It has been mentioned from the following counties 

 where it may sometimes occur abundantly : In the Mid- 

 lands, in Berks, Bucks, Derby, Gloucester, Northants and 

 Oxon ; in the east, in Cambridge, Hertford, and Kent ; 

 in the south, in Devon, Dorset, Hants, Wilts, Surrey, and 

 Sussex ; and in the North, in Yorkshire. 



The margins of the imago (Figs. 262 to 264) are similar 

 in shape to those of H. sylvanus, except that the hollow 



