THE PURPLE HAIRSTREAK. 141 



wooded districts skirting Milford Haven. Also recorded from 

 Worcestershire, and Cannock Chase in Staffordshire ; and 

 northward in the favoured districts of Grange and Silverdale in 

 North Lancashire, and Witherslack in Westmoreland." As 

 Surrey is not quoted in the foregoing, it may be mentioned as 

 one of the counties in which the species is found. In Ireland 

 Kane says that it is "abundant in certain localities in Munster ; 

 and in Co. Galway at Claring Bridge, and Oranmore ; Cork ; 

 Killoghrum Wood, Enniscorthy ; Blarney, Killarney." 



It is distributed throughout Central and Northern Europe, 

 except the Polar region, and its range extends through Northern 

 Asia to Amurland, Ussuri, and China. . — "~ 



The Purple Hairstreak {Zephyrus quercus). o.Uj*aa^' u 



The butterfly (figured on Plate 96) has the sexes differently 2 Mpftfl. 

 ornamented, as in the last species. The male is strongly tinged * *"""" 

 with purplish-blue, the veins are blackish ; the outer margin of 

 the fore wings are narrowly, and the costa and outer margin of 

 the hind wings are broadly, bordered with black. The female 

 is purplish-black, with two patches of bluish-purple in the discal 

 cell and space below ; often there is a smaller patch of the same 

 colour between them, the whole forming a large blotch 

 interrupted by the blackish veins. Under side greyish with 

 blackish shaded white lines ; two or three blackish clouds on 

 the outer margin of fore wings above the inner angle ; these are 

 sometimes edged with orange ; a black spot on anal angle of 

 the hind wings, with an orange one above it, and a black- 

 centred orange spot between veins 2 and 3. 



Variation in this species is exceptional. An aberration known 

 as bella, Gerhard, has a yellowish mark at end of the cell on 

 the upper side of the fore wings, and at least one such variety 

 has been taken in England. Sometimes the blotch on the 

 female is rather blue than purple ; a male specimen with blue 

 streaks on the costa of the fore wings has been recorded, and 



L 



