338 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



I. — Underside of wings green. — Th. Rubi. 



II. — Underside of wings with two slender 

 streaks. — Th. Betulce. 



III. — Underside of wings with one slender 

 streak. 



(a) Underside of -hind wings with a 

 distinct orange band. — T. Pruni. 



(b) Underside of hind wings with two 

 or three orange lunules at the hind mar- 

 gin. — T. Walbum. 



(c) Uunderside of hind wings with an 

 orange spot at the anal angle and another 

 near it with black centre. — Th. Quercus. 

 The larvae are onisciforme, but those I 



have seen are rather more rounded than the 

 larvae of the " Blues" or " Coppers." Sev- 

 eral of them are known to be cannibals, and 

 one or more have been observed to change 

 on or below the surface of the ground, but 

 the pupae as a rule are fastened by the tail, 

 and with a silk band round the middle. 



RUBI, Linn. PI. 18. fig. i. 

 The Green Hair streak. 



" Rubi, L., Ru'bi, feeds on Bramble (Rubus 

 fructicosus) . ' ' — A. L. 



ImagO. — PI. 1 8, fig. i. Dark brown, 

 without markings. Underside green. The 

 " hair streak" is represented in this species 

 by a row of dots across both wings, which 

 are rarely distinct, and often quite invisible. 



Larva. — Yellowish green with a darker 

 dorsal line, and pale yellow oblique lines on 

 each segment above the spiracles. Spira- 

 cular line the same colour and interrupted. 

 Between these streaks are markings of 

 darker green. The body is covered with 

 little white warts. 



Pupa. -— Short and stumpy, rather 

 rounded ; dark red brown in colour. 



Food Plants. — A number of plants 

 are named as the food of this species, on 

 many of which it certainly feeds, others 

 appear to be more doubtful. It certainly 

 feeds on Bramble (Rubus fructicosus), from 

 which it is named. Merrin also gives 

 "Broom, Genista, Birch, Salix fusca, .and 



Bilberry." Guenee has found it on Broom 

 and Genista (no doubt G. tinctoria, Dyers 

 green weed). Wilson also gives "Furze;" 

 and Newman says one of Hubner's figures 

 is represented on the Sun Cistus. 



Times of Appearance. — This little 



butterfly appears on the wing in May and 

 continues out till June, toward the end of 

 which month and in July the larvae may be 

 found. The pupa is fastened to the food 

 plant and remains over the winter. Owen 

 Wilson states that it is " in a cocoon amongst 

 the food plant ; " but when I bred the insect 

 it certainly formed no cocoon, and I should 

 be glad to hear the experience of others. 



Habitat. — Open places in woods and 

 bushy overgrown waste land, lanes, &c. 

 Common generally throughout Britain, and 

 probably only overlooked where not well 

 known. It occurs all over Europe, in West- 

 ern Asia, and Northern Africa. 



Variation. — A very constant species > 

 the spots forming the "hair streaks" being 

 the only variable portion. A variety in Mr. 

 Gregson's collection has irregular portions 

 of the wing much paler than usual, resem- 

 bling the well-known variety of S. Janira. 

 One form is named in Kirby's catalogue, 

 Dumelorum, Birsd., from California, but I 

 know nothing of it, and should think by the 

 locality it is likely to be a distinct species. 



QUERCUS, Linn. PI. 18, fig. 2. 

 The Purple Hair streak. 



Quercus, L., Quer'cus, feeds on Oak, 

 (Quercus robur)." — AX. 



ImagO. — PI. 18, fig. 2. Brown, with 

 a rich bluish gloss. Female with a rich 

 purplish blotch on the forewings near the 

 base. Underside ash-coloured, a distinct 

 white line across both wings, and several 

 pale marks near the hind margin ; orange 

 spots at the anal angle of the hind wing, the 

 second one with a black centre ; there are 

 faint traces of similar spots at the anal angle 

 of the fore wing. 



