286 THE PAPILIO PHL^AS. 



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 

 atalanta) at these times it will assail and drive 

 away. There is another small butterfly (papilio 

 phlaeas), however, as handsome, and perhaps still 

 more quarrelsome, frequenting too the same station 

 and flowers ; and a constant 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 

 renewed ; but should a cloud obscure the sun, or a 

 breeze chill the air, their ardour 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 mutual 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 autumn. The pugnacious disposi- 

 tion of the argus butterfly 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 



