BLUES. 



117 



composed of very small spots, and is often 

 indistinct, while the others are invariably 

 distinct and strongly pronounced ; similar 

 spots occur on the ventral surface ; the dark 

 dots form oblique series on the wing-cases, 

 and also on the cases of antennae and legs 

 Newman. 



Obs. At p. 41 of the third volume of the 

 " Entomologist," Mr. Moncreaff says : " On 

 tlie 17th December last, I found a number of 

 the caterpillars of Phlceas feeding on dock 

 and ragwort ; they are now hybernating, and 

 are very small. This proves that this species 

 passes the winter in the cater pillar state." 



TIME OF APPEARANCE. Throughout the 

 summer and autumn. Mr. Wailes, in his 

 " Catalogue," so often quoted, says " Of this 

 gay little butterfly there are broods in April, 

 June, and September ; " and Mr. Dale took it 

 at Wimborne as late as the 5th of November. 

 It is very common at the end of September ; 

 I never recollect seeing so many together as 

 on the 30th of September last at Elm Hall, 

 Wanstead. A bed of verbenas seemed a great 

 attraction to them. 



LOCALITIES. Mr. Birchall informs us that 

 this pretty little butterfly is common in Ire- 

 land ; Mrs. Battersby says it is very common 

 at Cromlyn, and Mr. Fetherstonehaugh says 

 it is abundant at Glenmore, Crossmolina. Mr. 

 Birchall has taken it in the Isle of Man. Dr. 

 Buchanan White says that in Scotland it has 

 not been seen farther north than Inverness- 

 shire ; it is found both in the lowland and 

 highland districts of Perthshire, but more 

 commonly in the former ; he has also taken 

 it in Kirkcudbrightshire and Fifeshire. Mr. 

 Campbell found it abundant at Millport. In 

 England it is abundant, and generally dif- 

 fused ; but in the very complete lists from 

 Cumberland and Westmoreland, kindly for- 

 warded me by Mr. Hodgkinson, the name 

 does not occur; it is, however, present in 

 every other county list, and generally accom- 

 panied by such observations as " common," 

 " very common," " abundant." 



39. PEA-POD ARGUS. The costal margin of 

 the fore wings is slightly but regularly arched ; 



39. Pea-pod Argus (Lampides bcetica). Upper side 

 of Male and Female. 



Under side. 



the hind margin is also slightly arched. The 



hind wings are rounded, and have a long, 



slender, and somewhat twisted tail near the 



anal angle. This tail is continuous with the 



last of the longitudinal wing-rays, that nearest 



the inner margin of the wing. The colour of 



the upper side is dull pale smoke-colour, 



glossed with purple, lilac, or blue reflections. 



In the male these are spread very sparingly 



over the entire surface of the wings, but in 



the female they are concentrated, and form a 



large blotch on the fore wings, and cover the 



base of the hind wings : the blue blotch on 



the fore wings extends from the base to the 



middle of the wing, and occupies also the 



basal half of the inner margin, but does not 



reach either the costal or the hind margin ; 



the blue surface seems to be due to the 



presence of numerous long hair-like scales of 



that uolour. On the hind wings is a series of 



compound spots parallel with the hind margin. 



These spots are of different degrees of intensity 



that nearest the anal angle is always distinct, 



