[02 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



traced from P. alexis through P. sahnaris to P. artaxerxes ; 

 and there are no constant differences of larvse and food-plants 

 which were at one time expected to separate the extreme 

 forms. 



VI. THE ARTAXERXES BUTTERFLY. POLYOMMATUS 



ARTAXERXES. 



(Plate XL VI I I. Figs. 6, 7.) 



Hesperia artaxerxes, Fabricius, Entomologia Systematica, 



iii. (i) p. 297, no. 129 (1783) ; Hiibner, Eur. Schmett. i. 



%s. 95 T ~954 (1841?). 

 Polyominatus artaxerxes, Godart, Enc. Meth. ix. p. 68 8, no. 



219 (1823); Stephens, 111. Brit. Ent. Haust. i. p. 95 



(1827). 

 Polyominatus agestis, var. artaxerxes, Barrett, Lepid. Brit. Isl. i. 



p. 74, pi. 10, figs. y~Zf ( l %9 2 )'> Buckler, Larvae of 



Brit. Lepid. i. p. 121, pi. 16, fig. i (1886). 

 Lyccen i astrarche, var. artaxerxes, Lang, Butterflies Eur. p. 



115, pi. 24, fig. 10 (1882). 



The present insect was always considered to be a perfectly 

 distinct species till recently, when its identity with P. alexis 

 and P. salmacis has been fully established by careful and re- 

 peated breeding experiments. The true P. ar!axerxes is 

 locally abundant in many parts of Scotland, and is single- 

 brooded, occurring in July and August. For many years, 

 Arthur's Seat, at Edinburgh, was the only known locality, and 

 some entomologists even undertook a journey to Edinburgh 

 (a most formidable undertaking a century ago) in order to obtain 

 specimens, while others had a drawing made of the insect, and 

 placed it in a corner of their cabinets, to do duty for the 

 original. In fact, the description of the Butterfly was taken by 

 Fabricius, as in the case of so many other species, from the 

 collection of drawings made by Jones of Chelsea. 



