I4-0 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



the middle of the back and some pale oblique streaks on each 

 side ; the wing-cases are freckled with darker brown. Barrett, 

 quoting Fenn, says, " Suspended by the tail and a silken girth 

 to the stem of the food-plant close to the ground." Those that 

 I have seen pupated on or under leaves, and so far as I could 

 observe without any girth, and certainly not suspended. 



Nearly two hundred years ago the male of this butterfly was 

 known as the Brown Hairstreak, whilst the female was called 

 the Golden Hairstreak. The caterpillar seems to have been 

 observed in quite early times. It has always been a local 

 species, and although it appears to frequent hedgerows occasion- 

 ally, its haunts generally are open grounds in the neighbourhood 

 of woods, where blackthorn or sloe is plentiful. August and 

 September are the months for the butterfly, but it does not 

 seem to be very often observed on the wing, even in places 

 where the caterpillars are known to occur. When seen it is 

 generally high up on, or around, some oak tree. Occasionally, 

 however, it visits the bramble blossoms, and at such times 

 becomes a fairly easy prey. The caterpillar is obtained by 

 beating sloe bushes. 



Barrett, who seems to have worked out its distribution in 

 England and Wales pretty closely, remarks, " In the eastern 

 counties it has been taken occasionally in Norfolk and Suffolk, 

 more frequently in Essex, where, in Epping Forest, it has been 

 fairly common ; also in Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, and 

 Northamptonshire, in some plenty. In very few localities in 

 Kent, Sussex, Hants, and Dorset ; rarely in Gloucestershire, 

 and possibly Somerset ; but found in many Devonshire 

 localities, especially in the sheltered valleys around the Dart- 

 moor range, and in the charmingly wooded districts about 

 Axminster and Sidmouth ; becoming common towards Dart- 

 mouth. It has also been found commonly near Marlborough, 

 Wilts, and plentifully in some parts of North Wales ; apparently 

 rare in South Wales, but certainly existing in some parts of the 



