44 



In the " Weekly Intelligence" for 1858, Mr. Sturgess writes, " In a box of 

 insects captured within a few miles of Chesterfield I find this very local species." 



In the " Entomologist " for 1874, Mr. Thompson writes. " Thecla pruni 

 in Buckinghamshire. On the 4th July, being at Linford Woods, I captured 

 several specimens of Thecla pruni, on flowers of the privet, mostly females." 



Sub-Genus LYCUS. 

 Huhner. 



Species without the small tail on the hind-wings, and the streak on 

 the underside wanting or less distinct. 



THECLA RUBI. 

 Green Hair-streak. 



Eubi, Linn. Ru'bi, named after the bramble {Rubusfructucosus), on which 

 it was formerly supposed to feed. 



This may be easily distinguished from all other of our British butterflies 

 by the green colour of the underside ; and from the other Hair -streaks by 

 possessing no tails. The colour of the upperside is brown, and the wings 

 expand about an inch and a quarter. The female has occasionally a pale 

 whitish oval dot near the middle of the forewings towards the costa. 



The caterpillar is of a yellowish green, with a brown dorsal stripe, and 

 oblique white stripes on the sides, and covered with minute raised points 

 bearing fine short bristles. It feeds on Genista tinctoria, and on Broom, in 

 June and July. When about to undergo its change, it enters the earth, but 

 only just beneath the surface. 



The chyrsalis is short and obese, rather rounded, and of a dark, dull pur- 

 plish brown colour, covered with short dark brown bristles. 



The butterfly appears on the wing in the end of April, and continues out till 

 June. Stray specimens are sometimes met with in July and even in August. 



It occurs all over Europe except the Polar regions, North Africa, and 

 Northern and Western Asia, as far as Persia. In California there is a closely 

 allied species — Bunetaria, which is, perhaps, only a geographical variety, 



It appears to frequent open places in woods, and bushy overgrown land, 

 lanes, &c, and to be generally distributed throughout the British Isles 

 occurring as far north as Rosshire. 



The first English author who appears to have known it was Dr. Merrett, 

 in 1667. 



Petiver, in 1702, gives it as occurring in the West of England, Cambridge, 

 and about London. 



