196 THE PAPILIO PHL^EAS. 



more jealous and pugnacious than this little argus. 

 When fully animated, it will not suffer any of its tribe 

 to cross its path, or approach the flower on which it sits, 

 with impunity ; even the large admiral (vanessa atalan- 

 ta) at these times it will assail and drive away. There 

 is another small butterfly (papilio phlaeas), however, as 

 handsome, and perhaps still more quarrelsome, fre- 

 quenting too the same station and flowers ; and a con- 

 stant warfare exists between them. We shall see these 

 diminutive creatures, whenever they come near each 

 other, dart into action, and continue buffeting one 

 another about till one retires from the contest; when 

 the victor returns in triumph to the station he had left. 

 Should the enemy again advance, the combat is renew- 

 ed ; but should a cloud obscure the sun, or a breeze 

 chill the air, their ardor becomes abated, and contention 

 ceases. 



The papilio phlaeas enjoys a combat even with its 

 kindred. Two of them are seldom disturbed, when 

 basking on a knot of asters in September, without mu- 

 tual strife ensuing. Being less affected by cold and 

 moisture than the argus, they remain with us longer, 

 and these contentions are protracted till late in the au- 

 tumn. The pugnacious disposition of the argus butter- 

 fly soon deprives it of much of its beauty ; and, unless 

 captured soon after its birth, we find the margins of its 

 wings torn and jagged, the elegant blue plumage rubbed 

 from the wings, and the creature become dark and 

 shabby. 



This spring, 1827, fostered into active life an insect 

 unknown in our district, or at least unnoticed before by 

 me ; a pretty little blue butterfly, for which I know no 

 common appellation, and so have named it the " spring 

 azure," (papilio argiolus). It appeared quite at the end 

 of April, and in some numbers, but was yet a transient 

 visitor with us, as after the first week in May only a lin- 

 gering specimen or so was visible. Few wild flowers 

 are then in bloom ; but, leaving all herbaceous plants, 

 it frequented chiefly the holly, the laurel, and the black 

 currant, feeding on the honey secreted by the nectaries 

 in their blossoms. If this butterfly be anywhere com- 



