170 SUMMER 



ground, it is usually in dry woods in droughty summers, when 

 other moisture is rare. Like blues and common whites, in 

 the July heats they will suck spilt water or oozing earth 

 when they can find it ; and if they can feed in this way, 

 baits of carrion are usually set in vain. 



White admirals and purple hairstreaks might be imagina- 

 tively regarded as the purple emperor's queens and princelets. 

 There is much of the ' royal imp ' about the hairstreaks 

 born in purple and merrily skipping about the oak boughs ; 

 while the flight of the beautiful white admiral has a double 

 portion of the emperor's grace, though it lacks some of 

 his power. These two butterflies are closely related, and 

 their brown pattern freaked with white is much the same ; 

 but the admiral is smaller, and has no purple gloss. It 

 haunts woods rich in honeysuckle, on which the caterpillar 

 feeds ; and such woods are among the most beautiful, for the 

 honeysuckle hangs looped from gnarled old boughs, and 

 climbs in masses among the undergrowth. The white 

 admirals come stooping and sailing among the shadows, 

 gliding down the ladders of sunshine, and following the 

 contours of the foliage with the same exquisite apprecia- 

 tion as the purple emperor. Purple hairstreaks have only 

 such grace as is inseparable from every light and active 

 butterfly. They are middle-sized butterflies larger than 

 most of the blues and the wings of the male are of a dark 

 purple-brown, with a tinge of purple less brilliant than the 

 emperor's but more constant in varying lights. The female 

 in this species is the brighter; she has a large panel of 

 brilliant purple-blue in the middle of each upper wing. The 

 under side of each sex is cool grey, banded with brown, 

 white and orange, something after the manner of the blues. 

 The hind wings are tailed, also like one of the rarest blues ; 

 and the purple hairstreak is altogether a very distinguished- 



