AGRIADES CORIDON. 87 



29th, 1904, July llth-24th, 1905, at Cuxton (Burrows); July 20th, 1905, 

 at Dorking (Prideaux) ; July 24th, August 2nd, 1905, in the Isle of 

 Purbeck (Bankes); July 29th, 1905, at Eastbourne (Colthrup); August 

 8th, 1905, one $ at Shotover (Hamm); August 13th, 1905, at Horsley 

 (Bell); August 14th, 1905, common at Shoreham, Kent (Bower); 

 August 15th, 1905, at Dorking (Oldaker); August 26th, 1905, one $ 

 at Abertillery (Bait-Smith) ; July 14th, 1906, at Horsley, just 

 appearing (Kaye); July 25th- August 1st, 1906, at Shoreham, Kent 

 (Bower); August 4th, 1906, between Princes' Bisborough and 

 Kimble (Rowland-Brown); August 8th, 1906, near Tubney, one $ 

 (Hamm); August 8th, 1906, at Newbury (Hopson); one $ , August 11th, 



1906, at Tintern (Bird); still out September 16th, 1906, in the Isle of 

 Wight (Newman); July 13th-29th, 1907, at Freshwater (James); July 

 30th, 1908, at Biddlesdown (Bower) ; August 5th, 1907, at Swanage 

 (Jane); August 9th, 1907, at Freshwater (Pearce); September 1st, 



1907, at Horsley (Bell); September 12th, 1907, between Princes' 

 Risborough and Kimble (Rowland-Brown); September 15th, 1907, 

 near Cuxton and Hailing (Tutt); August 6th and 17th, 1908, near 

 Beer Head (Blathwayt); September 13th, 1908, between Princes' 

 Risborough and Kimble (Rowland-Brown); August 21st, 1909, only 

 $ s met with, and these very scarce where in all previous years at the 

 same places they abounded, between Princes' Risborough and Kimble 

 (Rowland-Brown); September 9th, 1909, at Royston (Wheeler). 



Habits. — Locally abundant as this species is in England, it is not 

 until one has collected over a considerable area in central Europe, 

 especially in the Alps, that one is convinced that this is the commonest 

 of all our " blues," but this idea is now firmly fixed in our own mind, 

 and, although such a notion is necessarily relative, it will explain why 

 our notes on its habits and habitats possibly exceed those of any other 

 species of " blue " that has come under our observation. Except when 

 collected around runnels and puddles in vast swarms, we have never 

 seen the insect more abundant than on the cliffs at Dover, the downs 

 at Cuxton and Freshwater, and similar localities in England. Here, 

 seated on the flowers or flying in the hot sun, the number of specimens 

 in really good seasons is remarkable. We can fully understand the 

 remarks that the $ s occurred in countless numbers in August, 1901, 

 on Ditchling Beacon, in splendid condition, and made a beautiful 

 sight, drifting with the light breeze as far as one could see (Dollman), 

 and that, in August, 1902, it was in countless thousands at Watlington, 

 all very small, but so inert that they allowed themselves to be trodden 

 upon (Cruttwell); we have seen it equally abundant on the clifls at 

 Dover, yet not in all seasons, for, in some years, scarcely a specimen 

 has been obtainable in the same spots as those in which it has been so 

 abundant in previous years. A. coridon is a beautiful and conspicuous 

 insect, and the $ certainly appears to be one of the boldest fliers of all 

 the "blues ; " sometimes sweeping along in rapid curves, at other times 

 darting swiftly almost straight ahead, or moving in short curves or 

 zigzags through the undergrowth, now turning rapidly to give chase 

 to the largest butterflies that cross its path, flying after Argynnis 

 aglaia and A. niobe with great boldness, and showing fight at almost 

 anything that disturbs it ; when perched on a flower-head it will 

 similarly leave its food to attack almost any butterfly that approaches. 

 The J is particularly active in the forenoon, and may sometimes be 

 seen following up a ? in the most persistent fashion, and, when at 



