POLYOMMATUS ICARUS. 149 



Soc.j 1890, p. 64) exhibited two 2 s, one from Bishop Auckland, the 

 other from Castle Eden, with all the undersurface marks of the fore- 

 wings reproduced on the uppersurface except the central black dots. 

 Dale also mentions (Hist. Brit. Butts., p. 70) that some specimens are 

 remarkably clear, and so transparent, that the ocelli on the underside 

 of the wings are observable on the upperside. 



/3. ab. minor, Ckll., "Ent.," xxii., p. 176 (1889). Alexis ab., Gerhard, 

 " Mon.," pi. xxviii., figs. 5a-b (1853); Stanger-Higgs, "Ent. Rec," i., p. 35 

 (1890); Qbth., "Etudes," xx., p. 23 (1896). Icarus ab., Kirby, " Trans. Ent. 

 Soc Lond.," 3rd ser., ii., p. cxii (1864-6); Stevens, op cit., p. v (1881); Joy, 

 " Proc.Sth.Lond. Ent. Soc," 1886, p. 29 (1887); Mera, op cit., p. 34 (1887); South, 

 "Ent.," xx., p. 76, pi. ii., fig. 8 (1887); Sabine, op. cit., p. 287 (1887); Tugwell, 

 "Proc. Sth. Lond. Ent. Soc.," 1887, p. 40 (1888); Sabine, op. cit., n. 70 (1888); 

 Newnh.,"Ent. Rec," v., p. 12(1894); Mason, op. cit., p. 299(1894); Moore, "Proc. 

 Sth. Lond. Ent. Soc," 1898, p. 102 (1899); Rbtsn., " Ent. Rec," xiii., p. 360 (1901); 

 Rowl. -Brown, "Ent. Rec," xiv., p. 313 (1902); Musch., " Ent. Rec," xvi., p. 221 

 (1904); Gillm., "Ent. Zeits. Gub.," xix., p. 7 (1905); Harr., "Ent. Rec," 

 xviii., p. 247 (1906); Tutt, "Ent. Rec," xix., p. 228 (1907); Rayward, " Proc. Sth. 

 Lond. Ent. Soc," 1908, p. 97 (1909).— Wing-expanse less than 20mm. (Cockerell), 

 with reference to Sabine's note Ent., xx., p. 287. 



Cockerell's name was instituted to cover all the dwarf forms of this 

 species, which are generally of quite normal colour in both sexes. We 

 should include, however, as ab. minor all the examples under 25mm. 

 Gerhard's figure of pusillits $ (pi. xxviii., fig. 3) specially refers to the 

 pale lilac-blue form, but he also figures the bluer-coloured dwarf form 

 on the same plate, fig. 5. The occurrence of ordinarily coloured dwarfs 

 in both sexes has frequently been recorded. We have taken very 

 small examples at Cuxton, Deal, and elsewhere in Kent. Kirby 

 notes one {Tram. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1864-6, p. cxii) 8-§- lines in 

 expanse (Hove, July 20th). Stanger-Higgs records (Ent. Bee, i., 

 p. 35) several small examples, e.g., S '625 in. (Hastings, 1887), 

 others -875 in., and -812 in. (Hastings, 1887), *95 in. (Upton, 

 St. Leonards, 1888); Robertson says that dwarfs not measuring ^f in. 

 in expanse were common at Boscombe in 1901. South notes 

 (Ent., xx., p. 76) 2 s -75 in. --85 in. at Folkestone, and Moore records 

 dwarfs from Folkestone Warren, in 1898; Newnham reports (Ent. Bee, 

 v., p. 12) the smallest captured at Church Stretton as xf m - m expanse, 

 and states that the smallest specimens occur at the end of July. 

 Mason states (Ent. Bee, p. 299) that, in 1894, the species was scarce 

 at Clevedon and the few examples seen were much smaller than usual. 

 Rayward captured (Proc. Sth. Lond. Ent. Soc, 1908, p. 97) exceedingly 

 small examples of both sexes at Reigate in 1904 and 1905 ; Harrison 

 notes a J captured at Birtley, 22mm. in expanse; Lowe a $ , on 

 the cliffs of Guernsey, in 1883, measuring only 20mm. in expanse, 

 The following details show that the minor form is not restricted to any 

 particular season, though much commoner in the July-August brood 

 after dry hot summers, e.g., Muschamp notes that the examples taken 

 in Majorca in April, 1903, were very small and brightly coloured, not 

 more than from § to |- the size of those usually taken in France and 

 Switzerland ; Rowland-Brown on the other hand records a diminutive 

 race found near Beaulieu (Alpes-Maritimes) on October 2nd, 1902. 

 Mathew captured the minor form April 17th, 1898, at Cyprus, and June 

 16th, 1897, at Suda; our own specimens have been taken at Digne, 

 April, 1897; Digne, August, 1906; Gresy-sur-Aix, August, 1906; 

 Clelles, August, 1906; Bourg St. Maurice, August, 1898, August, 1905 ; 



