62 



still, and, I believe, they will only deposit their eggs when the sun is warm and 

 bright. In 1878 the weather was worse, there being hardly a fine day in the 

 month, and less than a dozen were seen, mostly worn and weather-beaten, 

 for there was scarcely two consecutive fine days. In 1879 the weather was 

 still worse, and Arion scarcer than ever, while in 1880 only two were obtained 

 and two three more seen. Tor the four years 1881-4, not one has been seen 

 in the Gloucestershire district that I have been able to trace." 



In the "Entomologist" for 1884, Mr. Bignell writes, "I feel quite 

 certain that the haunts of Lycana arion at Bolthead must be looked upon as 

 a thing of the past. I visited the old familiar spots twice this year, 28th 

 June and 5th July, without seeing a single specimen. On the 17th June, 

 1865, when I captured the above named species, the wild thyme was in full 

 bloom. Many females I watched that day, flitting about depositing their 

 eggs on the flowers of the thyme. But now all is changed, the fern, furze, 

 and thyme, which held full possession of the slopes towards the sea are com- 

 paratively gone. The farmer who rents the land has annually burnt, first 

 one spot and then another. I know Arion has been on the wing this year, 

 for I have had the pleasure of seeing nine specimens, taken during the first 

 week in July by a gentleman who had visited Bolthead, but gave it up in 

 disgust. Although the eggs are laid on the flowers of the thyme, and the 

 caterpillars feed upon them until the first moult, it is quite certain that it is 

 not their food-plant; but what the food -plant is I am not prepared to say, 

 but I strongly suspect it is one one small trefoils or vetches! 3 



The above mentioned nine specimens are the last that have been recorded 

 as being taken in England, and were probably taken on a rough piece of 

 ground near a village about ten miles from Kingsbridge, in South Devon, 

 where Newman in his " British Butterflies" published in 1871, records it 

 as being very abundant. 



SUB-GENUS AGRIADES. 

 Rubner. 



All the species of this sub-genus or section possess a row of red or fulvous 

 spots on the under surface of all the wings, near the hind margin. 



The females bear a close resemblance to each other ; indeed, Mr. Stainton 

 in his " Manual " observes of two of the species, Cory don and Adonis, " The 

 first real difficulty of the butterfly collector consists in the discrimination of 

 the females of these species ; the males can always be readily distinguished 

 by the great difference in the ground colour of the upper surface of the wings. 



