LEPIDOPTERA. 265 



females of some are brown, with or without a purple 

 lustre. Some species of the genus are brown in both 

 sexes, some rich brown with orange spots. The under 

 side is pale blue, grey, pale greyish, or fawn-brown, 

 covered or margined with black spots, some of which 

 are enclosed in white, or whitish rings, sometimes with 

 red spots. It is from the occurrence of these conspi- 

 cuous spots that the genus Polyommatus (many-eyed) 

 receives its name. 



The Copper Butterflies, Chrysophanus, never 'have 

 rings round the spots on their hind- wings. C. Phleas, 

 the small Copper, is common, and is very frequently 

 found in company with the Blue Butterflies, with the 

 delicate hues of which its rich and burnished wings are 

 in beautiful contrast, rendered more striking by the 

 similarity of size and general form. This little Butter- 

 fly, like the Thecla, seems to have earned for itself the 

 character of being quarrelsome. A curious variety has 

 been found in which the copper was on both wings ex- 

 changed for pure white. 



The fifth and last family, Hesperid, appears in 

 several respects to be nearly related to the Moths, the 

 body being thicker in proportion than is usual in Butter- 

 flies, the legs having, like the Moths, only one pair of 

 spines, the fore-wings (in some species) being erect 

 during repose, while the hind-wings remain in a hori- 

 zontal position, and the antenna in two species being 

 slightly hooked at the tip, in a manner resembling that 

 of some Moths. Besides this, the larva spins for its 

 change a thin cocoon, a habit unusual among Moths, 

 as will hereafter be shown. In this family the colours 

 are chiefly rich brown and tawny, or yellowish. One 

 pretty little species, Thymele Alveolus, is nearly black, 



