316 THE YOUNG 



ing English counties — Cambridgeshire, 

 Dorsetshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, 

 Herefordshire, Lincolnshire, Somersetshire, 

 and Warwickshire, In Wales, Glamorgan- 

 shire and Monmouthshire. On the Conti- 

 nent it is very widely distributed, and 

 extends into Northern and Western Asia. 



Variation. — I do not know of any 

 British or abnormal varieties, but there are 

 five named forms, principally from the 

 mountainous districts of Greece and East- 

 ern Asia. They are Bellis, Frr., which is 

 larger than the type, and has red spots on 

 the underside. It occurs in parts of Asia 

 Minor and towards Persia. Pavnassia, Stgr., 

 which is like the last but smaller. It is 

 found on Mount Parnassus, and other Greek 

 mountains. Helena, Stgr., also from the 

 Greek mountains, has a marginal reddish 

 band on the underside. Antiochena, Ld., is 

 a form of the female, with a reddish band 

 on the upperside of all the wings. It occurs 

 on the mountains in the western parts of 

 Asia Minor. Osiris, Meig., of which I neither 

 know the peculiarities nor locality. 



Note • — This species is now called 

 Semiargns, Rott., by most writers, this 

 name dating from 1775, while Acts was not 

 used till the following year. The name 

 Semiargus might therefore be adopted by us 



ALSUS, W.V., PI. 24 Fig. 2 

 The Little Blue. 



"Alsus, W.V., Al'sus a Rutulian shep- 

 herd. Cf. Virg. Mn. xii. 304." — A.L. 



ImagO. — PI. 24, Fig. 2. Dull brown.with 

 a faint silvery blue tinge. The scales giving 

 this blue tinge appear to be but loosely 

 attached, and it disappears after the insect 

 has been on the wing a few days. Underside, 

 dull silvery grey, with rather elongated 



BLACK SPOTS IN VERY NARROW PALE RINGS. 



There are no spots on the fore wing between the 

 central spot and the base, nor are there any 

 marginal orange spots on either side. This 

 is the smallest British butterfly. 



NATURALIST. 



Larva, — Green, with the dorsal furrow 



orange coloured, an oblique orange line on 

 each segment, and the side projections 

 orange or yellow. Head black. 



Pupa. — Rather stumpy, brownish yel- 

 low, with three rows of black spots. 



Food Plant. — Stainton says ''Astraga- 

 lus," and Kirby says " Astragalus cicer," but 

 I think there is little doubt but the Kidney 

 Vetch (A uthyllis vidneraria) is the true food 

 of this species. In the Entomologist's 

 Monthly Magazine, vol. iii., p. 205, an 

 interesting account is given of the oviposition 

 of this species, by Mr.T. Gedge.of Cambridge, 

 and the plant selected was always the 

 Kidney Vetch. They were observed to 

 settle sometimes on the Horse-shoe Vetch 

 (Hippocrepis comosa) , but no egg was deposited 

 on that plant. Where I have taken the 

 insect the Kidney Vetch has always been 

 abundant. 



Habitat. — This little butterfly frequents 

 waste places, sand hills, railway banks, &c. 

 It is rather local though occurring all over 

 England, and being abundant in many 

 places both in Ireland and Scotland. It is 

 generally distributed over Europe except in 

 the extreme north, and occurs also in 

 Siberia and Asia Minor. 



Variation. — I have not heard of a 

 variety of this species. Bred specimens are 

 often much suffused with pale silvery blue 

 scales, much the colour of Cory don. Two 

 varieties are named, Lorquinii, H.S., which 

 is sky blue on the upper side, and A Isoides, 

 Gerh., of which I know nothing. 



ARGIOLUS, Linn. PI. 24, Fig. 3. 

 The Holly Blue. 

 " Argiolus, L., Argiolus, diminutive of 

 Argos." — A.L. 



ImagO. — PI. 24, Fig. 3. Male pale blue, 

 generally with the tip margined with black ; 

 fringe white, with a dark line at the veins. 

 Underside, pale silvery blue, a short streak 



