'9 8 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



flap ; a dark medio-dorsal line commences at the base of the 

 beak, and passes down the entire length, gradually fading off 

 in the anal extremity ; it is blackest on the head and first 

 abdominal segment, and palest on the thorax, where it is light 

 brown ; there are two rust-red subdorsal lines, which run 

 parallel from the base of the antennae to the last segment ; 

 another similar line, united along the inner margin of the wing, 

 passes over two spiracles, and then runs parallel with the sub- 

 dorsal lines. . . . The antennae and wings are faintly outlined 

 with dusky brown. In general appearance and colouring the 

 pupa closely resembles a piece of dead withered grass." 



A female butterfly emerged on May 20, the transformation 

 from egg to perfect insect thus occupying about eleven months. 

 This local butterfly is on the wing in June ; sometimes it is seen 

 in the latter part of May, and, more rarely perhaps, in July. 



This species appears to have been first noticed as an in- 

 habitant of Britain in 1798, in which year specimens were taken 

 in Clapham Park Wood, Bedfordshire, by Dr. Abbott, who, 

 four years later, also reported the butterfly from White Wood, 

 Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire. In 1823 it was found to occur at 

 Castor Hanglands, near Peterborough ; and in 1841 Doubleday 

 met with it, in large numbers, in Monk's Wood, Huntingdon- 

 shire. Among other localities from which it has been reported 

 are Ropsley Wood, near Grantham, Notts, and Wychwood 

 Forest, Oxfordshire. 



In its special localities, which, at the present time, are chiefly 

 the larger woods in Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and 

 Buckinghamshire, it frequents the flowers of ground ivy 

 (Neftcta glechoma) and of the bugle (Ajitga reptans). 



Abroad it is locally common in various parts of Central 

 Europe ; also occurs in Finland, Central and Northern Russia, 

 Dalmatia, Piedmont, and in Labrador, and other parts of 

 North America. 



