84 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



butterflies gathered around one wounded birch tree on 

 Wimbledon Common. There was not room for all to imbibe 

 at the same time, but those unable to satisfy their desire at the 

 moment were content to sit around and await a favourable 

 opportunity of joining in the feast. The seductive fluid obtained 

 from such trees is evidently more potent than the nectar from 

 flowers, as under its influence the insect is so listless that it may 

 be taken up between the finger and thumb. 



Its range extends throughout the British Islands, and seems 

 to be very similar to that of the Painted Lady. 



The Silver- washed Fritillary (Argynnis p aphid). 



The wings of this fine butterfly are fulvous, with the veins 

 and spots black ; the spots on the hind wings are band-like, 

 and the central spots on the fore wings are sometimes con- 

 nected. The female is paler than the male, and is without 

 the heavy black scales (androco7tia) on veins I, 2, and 3 ; the 

 basal third of the fore wing, and a larger area of the hind wing, 

 tinged with greenish. The form of the female with all the 

 wings greenish is the var. valesina (Plate 52), and between 

 this and the type there are various intergrades, one of which 

 is shown on the plate. Specimens with white spots on the 

 fore wings, and chiefly in the males, are sometimes not un- 

 common in the New Forest, as, for instance, in the year 1893, 

 when quite a large number were secured. Very much more 

 rarely white spots occur on all the wings (Plate 57, Fig. 1). In 

 a very remarkable male specimen, taken in the New Forest in 

 1 88 1, the central area of all four wings is black, and the veins 

 beyond are broadly edged with the same colour. A curious 

 female aberration has the central black spots much reduced or 

 absent, whilst those on the outer margin are united, and form 

 elongate blotches between the veins, the upper one being wedge- 

 shaped. Aberrations of the valesina form, similar to that figured 



