THECLA. 53 



III. THE BLACK HAIR-STREAK. TIIECLA PRUNI. 



(Plate XL1 Figs. I, 2.) 



Papilio pruni, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. (ed. x.) i. p. 432, no. 147 



(1758); id. Faun. Suec.p. 283 (1761); Esper, Schmett. i. 



(). P- 259, pi. 19, fig. 3; p. 353, pi. 39 : fig. la (17??); 



Hubner, Eur. Schmett. i. figs. 386, 387 (1803 ?). 



Polyommatiis fritni, Godart, Enc. Meth. i. p. 647, no. in 



" (1823). 



Theclaprimi, Curtis, Brit. Ent. vi. pi. 264 (1829); Steph. 111. 

 Brit. Ent. Haust. iv. p. 382 (1835); Kirby, Eur. Butter- 

 flies and Moths, p. 59, pi. 15, figs. $a c (1879); Lang, 

 Butterflies Eur. p. 80, pi. 18, fig. i (1881) ; Buckler, 

 Larvae Brit. Butterflies and Moths, i. pi. 12, fig. 5 (1886). 



This is another dark brown species, of about the same size 

 as the last, which it somewhat resembles; but there is a sub- 

 marginal orange band on the hind-wings, and sometimes also 

 towards the hinder angle of the fore-wings, especially in the 

 female. The under side is lighter brown, with a bluish-white, 

 slightly irregular line beyond the middle, which does not form 

 a W-mark on the hind-wings. There is a sub-marginal orange 

 band on all the wings, bordered with bluish-white, and ac- 

 companied on the hind-wing*, on the inner side, with a very 

 distinct row of round black dots between the nervures. The 

 hind-wings have a slender tail, as in the allied species. The 

 Butterfly is found in June. 



The larva (vol. i. pi. 3, fig. 8) is green, with yellow spots and 

 stripes ; the head is small, and yellow. It feeds on black-thorn, 

 and perhaps on other trees, in May. 



This species is found in Central Europe and the Altai Moun- 

 tains, but is an extremely local insect in the midland counties 

 of England, the principal locality being Monks' Wood, in 

 Huntingdonshire. Newman ("British Butterflies," pp. no, 



