106 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



numerous .scattered scales of a metallic blue 

 lustre; the costal margin is narrowly edged 

 with bright rust-colour : the hind wings have a 

 still more slender line of the same colour, 

 fo'lowed by a black line, and this again by a 

 white fringe. The under side is green, the 

 costal and hind margin of the fore wings being 

 narrowly edged wi'h rust-colour, and the 

 inner margin broadly streaked with brown ; 

 the hind margin of the hind wings is narrowly 

 edged with rust-colour just within the fringe, 

 which is alternately dark brown and snowy 

 white. A transver e series of differently 

 shaped white spots crosses all the wings about 

 the middle, but their presence, as well as their 

 size and shape, seems very uncertain ; in some 

 specimens the series is tolerably consecutive 

 across all the wings, and every gradation may 

 be found between such a consecutive series 

 and a solitary white spot on the costal margin 

 of the hind wings. 



LIFE HISTORY. In Hubuer's figures of 

 European caterpillars there are three repre- 

 sentations of the CATERPILLAR of the Green 

 Hairstreak : one of them is represented on the 

 s\in cistus, and the other two on what appears 

 to be a species of heath, or, perhaps, the crow 

 berry ; in all these figures the head is repre- 

 sented as very small and black, the body as 

 woodlouse-shaped and green, with a medio- 

 dorsal and two lateral yellow stripes ; it also 

 has a lateral series of eight or nine oblique 

 yellow lines. The CHRYSALIS is very obese, 

 dark brown, and hairy, with a distinct belt 

 round the waist, and apparently an attach- 

 ment at the anal e-x.i,remity.--Hubner'sj!,gures. 



Obs. Lewin says : " The caterpillars of 

 this small fly feed on the buds and blossoms 

 of the bramble, and when young artfully con- 

 ceal themselves in the bud. They are at their 

 full growth the beginning of July. They then 

 retire to a convenient place for the security of 

 the chrysalis, and fasten themselves with a 

 slender thread round the middle and by the 

 tail : thus secured, they change to chrysalids. 

 The butterfly comes forth the first week in 

 the following May." Lewin has figured the 

 caterpillar of a pale green, with a brown dorsal 

 stripe, and oblique white stripes on the sides. 



Obs. 1. Mr. Doubleday observes: "There 

 is something curious about the caterpillar of 

 the Green Hairstreak. I think Guenee says, 

 in his volume on the " European Butterflies," 

 that he has found this caterpillar, on Broom 

 and Genista, and I believe it has been found 

 here at Eppicg on these plants." 



TIME OF APPEARANCE. The butterfly is on 

 the wing in May and June. 



LOCALITIES. Mr. Birchallsaysit is common 

 in Ireland, in the counties Dublin, Wicklow, 

 and Kerry, and the Honourable Miss Lawless 

 informs me that it is very abundant in the 

 same localities as the Marsh Kinglet : that is, 

 on the bogs and hills of Connemara and Mayo 

 but not extending so high on the hills; it 

 oecm-s in May and the beginning of June. 

 Mrs. Battersby says it is frequent on moors, 

 and Mr. Maixden says he has taken it in 

 Galway. It has not been taken in the Isle of 

 Man ; but in Scotland it is not uncommon. 

 Dr. Buchanan White says " that although apt 

 to be overlooked, it is widely distributed in 

 Perthshire, occurring in several places near 

 Perth, as well a* at Rannock. I have taken 

 it in Inverness-sliire,jiorth of which it does not 

 seem to have bei n observed : it appears to be 

 single -brooded in Scotland." Dr. White gives 

 the following dates:" 1858, May 20 ; 1863, 

 May 30; 1867, June 28; 1868, May 9; 

 1869, May 1." In England it occurs in nearly- 

 all the county lists I have nceived, and when 

 absent its absence may be supposed to arise 

 from the want of observation. 



33. Purple Hairstreak ( Thecla, Quercus). Upper side 

 of Female. 



33. PURPLE HAIRSTREAK. The costal mar- 

 gin of the fore wings is almost straight, and 

 the tip rather pointed, especially in the males ; 

 the hind margin is slightly waved : the hind 

 wings are slightly scalloped, and the last 



