THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



the most sociable terms with the pigeons ; 

 but this is doubtful, as the Kestrel is known 

 by the name of Sparrowhawk by some 

 country people. But to tame them properly 

 they should be taken from the nest while 

 young, and the males and females should be 

 kept separate, otherwise the latter, being 

 superior in size, will fall upon and devour 

 the former, if left too long without food. 



Habitat. — This is still one of our com- 

 monest birds of prey, being of frequent oc- 

 currence in almost all the wooded districts of J 

 Britain, and not rare in the cultivated parts. 



Abroad it is common all over Europe, 

 except perhaps the extreme north. It ex- 

 tends across Asia, to Japan and China, and 

 to most parts of India. Also in Western Asia 

 to Arabia and Eastern Africa. It breeds in 

 Algeria and in the Canaries, and is found 

 occasionally in Malta and Madeira. 



Nest — Generally that of a crow or 

 magpie is adopted, but sometimes, probably 

 when these are not forthcoming in suitable 

 localties, the Sparrowhawk builds one for 

 itself, loosely composed of sticks. Some- 

 times it is placed in a rock. 



Eggs. — From four to six eggs are laid 

 about the first or second week in April. 

 The ground colour is bluish-white, beauti- 

 fully mottled and blotched with red and 

 brown; generally the blotches are most 

 numerous at the large end, but sometimes 

 they are concentrated round the thickest 

 part, and at other times at the small end. 

 The Egg of the Sparrowhawk is very beauti- 

 ful and cannot well be mistaken for that of 

 any other species. 



Varieties sometimes occur entirely with- 

 out spots, and at other times with the spots 

 indicated by faint shades, like Fig. 2. 



Figs 1 and 2 are from specimens in my 

 own collection. Figs. 3 and 4 are from 

 drawings kindly furnished me by Mrs. 

 Battersby, of Cromlyn, Ireland, taken from 

 specimens in her collection. 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



By J. E. Robson ; with figures from life by 

 S. L. Mosley. 



(Assisted by Contributors to the Y.N.) 



CORYDON, Sco., PL 22, Fig. 3. 

 Chalk Hill Blue. 



" Corydox, Sco., Cor'ydon, a Roman shep- 

 herd. Cf. Virg., Eel. ii., 56." — A.L. 



Imago.— PL 22, Fig. 3. Male, p'ate sil- 

 very blue, with a smoky black hixd margix 

 and white fringe, through which the wing 

 rays form dark lines. Near the anal angle 

 of the hind wing, the dark hind margin is 

 broken up into three or four spots. Female, 

 brown, with a row of orange lunules round 

 the hind margin, most distinct in the hind 

 wing, which has also a narrow less distinct black 

 central spot. Underside brown, with distinct 

 black spots in white rings. In the female a 

 row of these round the hind margin, have 

 an orange lunule to each, on the side nearest 

 the base, forming a wavy orange line. On 

 the fore wing there are two of these eyed spots 

 between the base and the central spot. 



Larva.— Light green. On the back 

 the eight middle segments have raised ribs 

 or humps on each side, making the dorsal 

 area appear depressed. These raised por- 

 tions each bear an oblique yellow streak. 

 The projecting sides are also yellow, spiracles 

 black, head dark brown. The larvse of this 

 species and of Adonis are almost indistin- 

 guishable. Mr. Hellins (Ent. Mo. Mag., 

 vol. xi., p. 115) states that the only difference 

 he could see w T as thai "Adonis has its ground 

 colour deeper green, with the hairs or bristles 

 black, while Cory don has the ground colour 

 of a lighter, brighter green (a green with 

 more yellow in its composition) and the 

 hairs light brown." He also points out that 

 this observation does not agree with the 

 differentiation of Boisduval. Mr. Hellins 

 had but one larva of Corydon and some figures 

 taken previously to compare with those of 

 Adonis ; and it is highly desirable further 



