420 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



the discal spot, and an elongated transverse series of interpleural black 

 dots, usually standing out clearly in the fuscous-shaded median area. 

 There is considerable difference in the outline of the wings of the two 

 sexes, that of the $ being distinctly narrower and more pointed at 

 the apex, that of the ? broader and squarer. On the average the 

 5 is larger than the $ . 



Historical account of British Chrysophanus dispar. — It is a remark- 

 able fact that the oldest figures and description of our British insect 

 occur in Esper's Schmett. Fait., i., pi. xxxviii., figs. 1-2 (1777), p. 350 

 (1779). Whilst describing it under the name hippotJioe, he expresses the 

 gravest doubt of its being specifically identical with hipjJotMoe, Linne. 

 " The upperside," he says, " is of a more fiery and glossy colour than 

 P. virtjaureae, has a much broader outer marginal band ; the ? has on 

 the upperside very extraordinarily regular spots, whilst, in JdppotJioe, 

 the upperside is darker and brown. The upperside differs still more 

 strikingly from, and has nothing in common with, either P. virfjaureaeoY 

 P. hippothoe. The wings of the former are, on the underside, of the 

 same yellow tint, the hindwings with single dots and spots bordered 

 with white. How different from the insect figured ! The underside of 

 the wings of the latter (hippotJioe) is dirty yellowish-grey, the eye- 

 spots more numerous, standing in a different position. Compare 

 this with the insect figured ! Here the underside is grey, with 

 a vivid tinge of blue, and a broad margin of the same colour ; 

 the eye- spots are bordered by a white edge, whilst the bright red 



marginal band is alone almost enough to distinguish it 



The originals from which the figures are taken are from the 

 collection of Councillor Jung, in Uffenheim (Bavaria). Of its habitat, 

 time of appearance, larva, and natural history, nothing can be 

 learned." It was first noticed as a British species by Lewin, Insects of 

 Great Britain (1793), p. 84, pi. xl., figs. 1-3, also under the name 

 hippothoe. He states that "some specimens were met with by a 

 gentleman in Huntingdonshire, on a moorish piece of land, and were 

 afterwards sent to Mr. Seymour, of Dorsetshire, who presented them 

 to the late Dowager-Duchess of Portland, and are now in the collection 

 of J. J. Swainson." In 1798, Donovan, in The Nat. Hist, of British 

 Insects, vii., p. 4, pi. 217, described and figured the insect, noting that 

 " our P. hippothoe is the largest and rarest of the butterflies called 

 ' coppers ; ' we have heard that this insect has been lately found in 

 Cambridgeshire. Our specimens were met with in Scotland ; the $ 

 is larger than the $ , and has a greater number of black spots on the 

 wings." It was not until Haworth published the Lcpidoptera Britan- 

 nica, in 1803, that the name dispar was applied to our British insect, 

 which was then described as " a new and very beautiful species." This 

 author informs us that " the butterfly, in July, frequents the marshes 

 of Cambridgeshire in certain but undeterminable years," further, that 

 it is a new and very beautiful species, lately detected by himself and 

 his \ery dear friends, W. Skrimshire and F. Skrimshire, M.D., and 

 formerly in Wales by the celebrated botanist, Hudson. He also adds 

 that the species " has not been taken in Scotland, as Donovan has 

 affirmed from erroneous information." It would appear that the Messrs. 

 Skrimshire first saw this butterfly near Ely, in 1797 or 1798, and that, 

 knowing it was not a common one, they afterwards went with Haworth 

 to capture it. The Aberdeen locality for dispar appears to have been 



