Green Hairstreak 



has a patch on either fore-wing of a still more pro- 

 nounced sheen. The under side (Plate XIV., Fig. 8) 

 is a cool grey ; the " hairstreak " is white and 

 strongly defined by an inner edging of dark brown. 

 There are also two orange eye -spots near the tail, 

 which in this species is rather small. 



The caterpillar is a reddish-brown and grey mixture, 

 with a lighter angular pattern along the back, and a 

 light line along the sides. It feeds on Oak. 



I once came upon a small colony of this little butter- 

 fly flying round some Oak-trees in Argyllshire, but not 

 one of them came lower than 15 feet from the ground, 

 and after trying a variety of expedients I had to retire 

 discomfited without a single capture. A visit to the 

 same spot on subsequent days failed to reveal a single 

 specimen. August was the month. In the South it is 

 out in June. 



THE GREEN HAIRSTREAK (Thecla rubi), Plate XII., 

 Fig. 2. The smallest of the British Hairstreaks and a 

 fairly common species. Deep dingy brown above, 

 bright emerald-green below, traversed by white hair- 

 streaks, although in some specimens I have taken these 

 white lines are absent. An elusive little butterfly, as 

 when it settles amongst green herbage with the wings 

 closed it is rendered almost invisible, so well does it 

 harmonize with its surroundings. 



The caterpillar is green, spotted and striped with 

 yellow ; it feeds on Bramble and Broom. The butter- 

 fly is out in June generally, but I have found it in the 

 closing days of May in a favourable season. In the 



S.B, 73 IP 



