428 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



from the one noticed at the same place three years earlier, 

 laying on the same species of plant, and that seemed to find 

 the right place at almost always the first trial, and was seen to lay 

 several eggs, also amongst small buds. It is well to note here that, 

 in Carmarthenshire, on June 1st, 1900, Jefferys observed a 2 

 depositing ova on the needles or shoots of TJlex enropaeus. There is 

 no record as to the mode of oviposition when Erica arborea or E. 

 vulgaris is chosen. In Societas Entomologica, xiv., p. 99, it is stated 

 that " C. argiolus lays its eggs on Bhdmnus frangula and young oak- 

 leaves." This statement concerning "oak-leaves "is almost certainly an 

 error. Of the summer brood, the following notes are interesting: — Mathew 

 observes that, in this country, the 2 s seem to confine themselves almost 

 entirely to flower-buds of ivy ; a ? , captured at Harwich, on August 

 15th, was confined under a glass cylinder with some flower-heads of 

 ivy and placed in the sun, and, in a short time, she deposited eighteen 

 eggs, some of which were fastened to the stalks of the young buds, and 

 others upon the leaf-stalks ; the larvae began to hatch on August 22nd ; 

 at Corfu, the same observer records (Ent., xxxi., p. 112) the species as 

 common about bramble, from August 4th-12th, 1897, the 2 s depositing 

 their eggs upon terminal shoots and small unripe fruit ; Luff also 

 notes [Ent., ix., p. 257) that he observed eggs laid, in 1876, on the 

 blossom of blackberry (Rubus) in preference to ivy, the larvae there- 

 from feeding up on the pollen of the bramble-flowers. Raynor says 

 that, on July 27th, 1905, he watched two 2 C. argiolus at 10.30 a.m. 

 ovipositing on a small-leaved variegated ivy, which clothes his house on 

 the north and east sides, and adds, "the 2 butterfly settles leisurely on 

 an unfolded flower-head, and deposits one or two eggs at the base by 

 twisting her body round ; the eggs harmonise very well in colour 

 w T ith the pale green flower-buds ; about 6ft. from the ground was 

 the lowest, and 15ft. to 20ft. the highest, distance at which the 2 s were 

 observed ovipositing, but they certainly laid the majority of their eggs 

 high up." He further notes that a $ was seen at Hazeleigh, on 

 August 23rd, 1906, ovipositing about 10.10 a.m., on the unopened 

 buds of a very late-flowering ivy, which scrambled over part of a 

 western wall, and, from the observations made, it would appear that 

 the 2 C argiolus lays her eggs on ivy-buds that will be just ready to 

 burst into flower when the larvae are full-fed. Prideaux observes that a 

 $ captured near Carisbrooke, August 7th, 1895, was confined in a glass 

 cage containing sprays of immature ivy-bloom, that eggs were noticed 

 three days later, deposited on the ivy-stems at the base of the flower- 

 umbels, and on each of the ensuing three days more eggs were laid, the 

 same situation being almost invariably chosen ; the 2 then ceased laying, 

 and, although she lived for 15 days longer, no more eggs were obtained. 

 Search was, during this time, made on a bush of ivy in the neighbour- 

 hood, and, by examining the ivy, eggs were found, always laid in the 

 same place at the base of the umbels, rarely two on one umbel, though 

 three were recorded in one instance ; all were discovered on the north- 

 easterly side of the bush, a fact that may be accounted for by the 

 persistent and violent westerly winds that had prevailed earlier in the 

 month, when the butterflies were flying. The eggs hatched in from 

 three to five days after being deposited. He further notes that ova 

 were laid freely on immature ivy-umbels during August, 1899, in the 

 lieigate and Dorking districts, and that those found in the same district 

 in May, 1900, had been laid upon holly-twigs much more indiscriminately 



