114 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



In many places it is the commonest of the " Blues. " 

 It has been found at Epping ; Coombe Wood ; Darenth 

 Wood ; Box Hill ; Eipley, Surrey ; Brighton ; Lewes ; 

 Deal ; Lyndhurst ; Blandford; Brandon, Suffolk ; Holt^ 

 Norfolk ; Birkenhead ; Bristol ; Saruni, Wiltshire ; 

 Lyme Eegis; Parley Heath, Dorsetshire; Manchester; 

 STork ; several places in Scotland. 



THE BEOWN AEGUS. 

 (Polyommatus Agestis.) (Plate XI Y. fig. 6.) 



THOUGH this butterfly and the next are classed among 

 the " Blues," from their possessing the same structure 

 and habits, there is no trace of blue in the colouring of 

 either sex, as in all the preceding species of Polyommatus. 



In this species the colour of both sexes on the 

 upper side is a warm, dark brown, having on all the 

 wings a border of dark orange spots. The female hardly 

 differs from the male, except in having this border 

 broader, and more extended on the front wing ; where, 

 in the male, it is sometimes very indistinct. The under 

 side much resembles that of the female of Alexis, the 

 border of orange spots being even more distinct on the 

 front wing than on the hind one. It will be observed 

 on referring to Plate XIY. that on the under sides of 

 all the butterflies there figured, there is an irregular 

 black spot situated near the front edge of the upper 

 wing and midway in its length this is called the 

 " discoidal spot" It will also be observed that the 

 common Blue (fig. 4) has, on the area of the wing, be- 

 tween the discoidal spot and the root of the wing, two 

 spots, which are absent in this species. This forms a 

 very ready mark of distinction, though it requires a 

 good many words to explain it. 



The caterpillar, which feeds on Erodium Cicutarium, 

 and perhaps on Helianthemum (Eock Cistus), is green, 

 with pale spots on the back, and a brownish line down 

 the middle. 



The butterftv appears in May and June, and again in 



