THE LARGE COPPER. 1 49 



or eight beyond ; the outer margin is broadly bordered with 

 black, and there are generally two spots above the inner angle ; 

 the hind wings have a black spot in the cell, and a series of 

 black spots beyond, but the whole basal three-fourths of these 

 wings is often deeply suffused with blackish ; the outer margin 

 is bordered and spotted with black. The sexes are much alike 

 on the under side, and have reddish-orange fore wings with 

 bluish grey outer margins, and black spots as on the upper 

 side of the female ; the hind wings are bluish-grey, pow T dered 

 with bluish towards the base, and with whitish ringed black 

 spots ; five of these spots are before the linear discal mark, and 

 a series of nine or ten beyond ; an orange band on the outer 

 margin has black dots on each edge. 



Except as regards the size and the shape of the spots, 

 especially in the female, there appears to have been but little 

 variation noted in this species in England. 



The two fine female specimens figured on the plate have a 

 more or less distinct wedge-shaped black spot in the basal end 

 of the discal cell of the fore wings. Dale mentions that he has 

 an "almost entirely black" example of the female in his 

 collection. 



The var. rutilus, which is the continental form of our butter- 

 fly, is smaller in size, as a rule, the spots are not so large, and 

 the orange band is always narrower on the under side of the 

 hind wings. It has been averred that some of the British 

 specimens are referable to this form. 



Newman, writing about 1870, gave the following life-history 

 details : — " The egg is laid on the leaves of the great water- 

 dock {Rumex hydro lap athuin) during the month of August, and 

 the young caterpillars (never, to the best of my belief, observed) 

 probably emerge during the following month, and hibernate 

 very early at the base of the petioles. 



" The caterpillar is full fed in June, and then lies flat on the 

 dock-leaf, rarely moving from place to place, and, when it does 



