POLYOMMATUS ICARUS. 205 



iearus (see also Proc. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1886, p. xxx, where Jenner- 

 Weir exhibited a $ A. thetis taken in copula with a 2 P- iearus by 

 Mr. Hillman), and we have ourselves noted in the preceding volume 

 of this work, p. 388, a persistent following up of a 2 by a $ A. thetis 

 on September 11th, 1909. Mansbridge notes (Proc. Sth. Lond. Ent. 

 Soc, 1898, p. 107) that he observed a $ take up the calling position of 

 a 2 , and thus attract other $ s, possibly the supposed $ may have been 

 a very blue 2 • The $ of this species, like those of its allies, flies over 

 sloping flowery banks with a quick, somewhat twinkling, movement, its 

 forewings apparently pushed rather back, certainly not thrown well 

 forward, even when making rapid headway, and, viewed from above 

 with the insect below one, it looks as if its blue colour is continuously 

 seen ; the wings are pulled upwards and backwards rapidly, and never 

 apparently completely closed, so that the blue is rarely altogether 

 lost when the insect is flying. Looked at sideways, the undersides of 

 the wings are clearly shown as the forward movement is begun, the 

 wings, however, dropping almost immediately, discovering the wholly 

 blue upperside. When thus on flight, it does not seem to make the 

 zigzag movements so characteristic of Aricia astrctrche, but flies quickly 

 onward, much after the manner of Polyommatus eros. On the hazy 

 morning of September 1st, 1907, many apparently freshly- emerged^ s 

 were observed near Eanscombe, in Kent, with their wings partly 

 opened so as to gain as much heat from the sun as possible, resting 

 on almost anything, grass-culms, scabious leaves, lucerne leaves, etc., 

 the 2 s at this time sat with their wings well up over their backs 

 feeding on the nectar of the thyme-blossoms. The flight of the 2 is 

 much more difficult to trace and follow than that of the J , possibly 

 owing to the dark colour, which, contrasting with the grey of the 

 underside that is brought into view when a forward movement is 

 made, makes the insect more difficult to see against the herbage. The 

 imagines choose a variety of flowers on which to rest and teed, 

 although, perhaps, thyme is, on our Kentish chalkhills, the favourite. 

 On August 15th-16th, 1907, the species was not uncommon on the 

 marshy ground in, as well as on the flowery slopes of, the Val Koseg ; 

 the $ s rested chiefly on the heather blossoms on the banks, but the 

 2 s appeared to frequent the clover blossom, from which they w ? ere 

 very busy extracting the nectar ; . in the gleams of sunshine, on the 

 17th, the $ s were observed in numbers sitting on the apex of a 

 grass or plaintain head, opening their wings to about 90°, so that 

 the sun fell on them, some resting head upwards, others head 

 downwards, others almost horizontal, but all, in such a 'way, 

 that the sun shone directly on their outspread wings. It is quarrel- 

 some and pugnacious, less so, perhaps, than Ac/Hades coridon, and 

 often attacks a butterfly much larger than itself. Smallman says 

 (in litt.) that they seem not at all particular as to what kind of 

 flowers or grass they rest upon, when active, usually with the head 

 higher than the body, the wings at about an angle of 90° with 

 each other, and the antennas in line with the wings, the hindmargins 

 of the hindwings near the body, whilst the forewings are kept fairly 

 well back, so that the hindmargin touches the hindwings for almost 

 its whole length ; when in this position, it keeps very still until it 

 flies off, there being, as a rule, no apparent movement of the 

 wings, antennae, or body. When at rest, with the wings over its 



