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Family 8. SATYRID^E 

 Genus 1. MELANARGIA 



M. Oalatliea v. F*rocida. 



TIMES OF APPEARANCE. June to August. 



HABITAT. Generally distributed. It also occurs in 

 the mountains, though it does not extend to any great 

 elevation. 



OVUM. " The eggs are laid at random, the parent 

 female not selecting any particular species of plant. 

 The eggs thus deposited, find their way by the simple 

 power of gravitation to the roots of the grass, there to 

 take their chance of hatching and future well-doing. 

 The egg, which is perfectly hard and dry, and free 

 from any glutinous covering, is white and almost 

 spherical, but is slightly flattened at both its poles " 

 From Newman's " British Butterflies ". 



LARVA, (of typical Galathea), On Phleum pratense 

 and other grasses, in April and May. The f larva is 

 usually brown ; and the $, green. 



OBSERVATION. The type is not found in the Maritime 

 Alps. Other varieties are 

 ab. Leucomelas ?, and 

 ab. Galene. 



In Leucomelas, a variety confined to the female, the 

 markings are entirely absent from the u.-s. of the 

 h.-w. which are quite white, the black markings on 

 the upper surface only, showing through. 



ab. Galene has the ocellated spots absent. 



