136 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The Small Heath (Ccenonympha pamphilns). 



To the ancient fathers the male of the butterfly on Plate 92 

 was known as the " Selvedged Heath Eye," and the female was 

 called the " Golden Heath Eye." Harris figured it as " The 

 Small Heath," or " Gatekeeper ; " the latter name being now 

 associated with another species, it may be allowed to drop out 

 in the present connection. 



The wings are pale tawny, with a brownish or greyish-brown 

 border, of variable width, on all the wings, and stronger in the 

 male than the female ; there is a black spot towards the tip of 

 the fore wing. The under side resembles that of the last species 

 in some degree, but the eyed spots of the hind wings are not 

 always prominent, often only white dots, and may be absent 

 altogether (Fig. 9). 



Variation in this species is extensive, but not striking. The 

 tint of the ground colour may be reddish or yellowish ; occa- 

 sionally brownish or greyish-brown specimens of the male 

 occur, and more rarely purplish-brown examples of the same 

 sex have been found. Females, in all cases paler, and generally 

 larger than the male, are sometimes whitish-ochreous in colour, 

 and, very rarely, yellowish-white. The brown border is also 

 a variable character, and may be very dark and broad (var. 

 lyllus), or reduced to linear proportions. The apical spot on 

 the fore wings may be of fair size and very black, very pale and 

 indistinct (Figs. 8, 12), or entirely absent ; it does not seem to 

 be pupilled with white (as it is on the under side), but sometimes 

 there is a pale speck in the centre. On the under side of the 

 hind wings there is variation in the width of the central whitish 

 band-like patch, in some specimens with unusually dark ground 

 colour this patch is very broad ; in other examples, of normal 

 coloration, the band is complete, and extends to the inner 

 margin. The white dots that normally do duty as ocelli are 



