THE SILVER-STUDDED BLUE. 113 



very variable sometimes all the wings have a "border 

 of orange-red spots, sometimes these are absent from 

 one or both pairs of wings. 



Fringe in both sexes white, uninterrupted by dark 

 bars. 



Under side, male, marked as in fig. 4, and hardly to 

 be distinguished from under side of male Adonis, except 

 by the ground colour, which is paler and greyer than in 

 Adonis. Female, same pattern as male, but coloured 

 with warmer tints more like male Adonis. 



This very pretty little insect is the blue butterfly one 

 sees everywhere, abounding in meadows, on heaths and 

 downs, and not at all confined to chalky soils, like 

 some other "blues." 



The caterpillar is green, with darker stripe on the 

 back, and white spots on each side. It feeds on Bird's- 

 foot Trefoil and other leguminous plants. 



The butterfly is to be found almost constantly from 

 the end of May to the end of September, being double- 

 brooded. 



THE SILVEB-STUDDED BLUE. 



(Polyommatus ^Egon.) (Plate XIV. fig. 5, male ; 

 5 a, Female.) 



Colouring : Upper side, male, purplish blue (rather 

 deeper than that of Alexis), with a rather broad black 

 margin. Eemale, dark brown, sometimes slightly tinged 

 with blue, and bordered on the hind wings with dull 

 orange spots ; but these are often absent. 



Fringe white, not barred with black. Under side, 

 near the margin of the hind wings, and between that 

 and the orange border spots, are several metallic spots 

 of a bluish tint, whence the insect has its name of 

 " Silver-studded." 



The caterpillar is brown, with white lines. Feeds on 

 broom and other plants of the same order. 



The butterfly appears in July and August, and is very 

 frequently met with throughout the country on heaths, 

 commons, and downs, both on sandy and chalky soils. 

 i 



