THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



889 



Odontopera Vuleniata ; 19th July, from 



Cosmia trapexina. 

 Campoplex eurynoUis. Bickleigh, 8th June. 



A new British species. 

 Sagaritis latrator. Bickleigh, 20th August 



and 2nd September. A new British 



species. 



(To he continmd) 



I 



BUTTERFLIES. 



50. POLYOMMATUS ALSUS. 



The Little Blue.— The smallest British 

 butterfly. It is rather local, but very widely 

 distributed, and occurs in waste places, 

 railway banks, &c. Various food-plants are 

 named, but there is little doubt that the 

 kidney vetch {Anthyllus vulneraria) is the 

 one preferred, if not the only food of the 

 species. Where this grows the little butter- 

 fly should be sought for. It is not very 

 easy for an inexperienced collector to see. 



51. POLYOMMATUS ARGIOLUS. 



The Holly Blue. — A very distinct blue, 

 and well distributed in the south of England, 

 but scarce further north. It appears first 

 in April and May, and the second flight in 

 August. The larva feeds on the flowers of 

 holly and buckthorn in May and June, and 

 on the flowers of the ivy in the latter part 

 of the year. But it occurs in many places 

 where only one of these plants are found, 

 and it would seem that the second brood 

 may perhaps feed on the flowers of the 

 bramble. This is an interesting point for 

 young collectors to solve. It should be 

 looked for where one or all of the plants 

 named are plentiful. 



52. POLYOMMATUS ARION. 

 The Large Blue. — This is a rare and 

 local species. It occurs in several of the 

 south-westerly counties of England, and 

 .need not be looked for outside this restricted 

 - range. It appears on the wing from about 



the middle of June to the middle of July. 

 The larvae feed on wild thyme, a plant 

 abundant enough for the butterfly to have a 

 much wider range in this country, as it has 

 abroad. 



53. THECLA RUBI. 

 The Green Hair-streak. — This butter- 

 fly frequents open places in woods and 

 w^aste places where there are bushes and 

 shrubs. It is common all over Britain, but 

 being small and inconspicuous may readily 

 be overlooked. It is on the wing in May 

 and June, the pupa remaining over the 

 winter. The larva feeds on bramble and 

 occasionally on other plants and may be 

 found in July or August. 



54. THECLA QUERCUS. 

 The Purple Hair-streak. — An equally 

 comm.on butterfly with the last, occurring 

 whereever there are oak woods. It is not 

 perhaps always easy to obtain as it flies 

 about the oaks, often about the upper por- 

 tion ; the larvae appear to prefer the 

 upper branches. It is on the wing in July, 

 the eggs remain on the oak twigs over the 

 winter, and the larva may be found in May. 



ARCTIA FULIGINOSA. 



To the Editor of the " Young Naturalist." 



Dear Sir, — I think that Mr. Gregson must 

 admit that considering that he has "no 

 desire to damp any of his young friends' 

 ardour he is certainly very hard on one of 

 his young friends in his letter on page 372, 

 No. 150 Y.N. It is true that Mr. Bath was 

 not altogether correct in his statements 

 about A . fuUghiosa, his mistake as to the 

 expanse of wing in that insect being certainly 

 a bad one ; but that he should be called 

 "colour blind" for saying that the hind 

 wings are a deep pink is surely rather ab- 

 surd. Their colour must always be to some 

 extent a matter of opinion, but for my own 

 part I consider that it any one is "colour 



