THE PAPILIO PHLiEAS. 
196 
more jealous and pugnacious than this little argus. 
When fully animated, it will not suffer any of its tribe 
to cross its path, or approach the flower on which it sits, 
with impunity ; even the large admiral (vanessa atalan- 
ta) at these times it will assail and drive aw r ay. There 
is another small butterfly (papilio phlseas), however, as 
handsome, and perhaps still more quarrelsome, fre- 
quenting too the same station and flowers; and a con- 
stant warfare exists between them. We shall see these 
diminutive creatures, whenever they come near each 
other, dart into action, and continue buffeting one 
another about till one retires from the contest; when 
the victor returns in triumph to the station he had left. 
Should the enemy again advance, the combat is renew- 
ed ; but should a cloud obscure the sun, or a breeze 
chill the air, their ardor becomes abated, and contention 
ceases. 
The papilio phlaeas enjoys a combat even with its 
kindred. Two of them are seldom disturbed, when 
basking on a knot of asters in September, without mu- 
tual strife ensuing. Being less affected by cold and 
moisture than the argus, they remain with us longer, 
and these contentions are protracted till late in the au- 
tumn. The pugnacious disposition of the argus butter- 
fly soon deprives it of much of its beauty ; and, unless 
captured soon after its birth, we find the margins of its 
wings torn and jagged, the elegant blue plumage rubbed 
from the wings, and the creature become dark and 
shabby. 
This spring, 1827, fostered into active life an insect 
unknown in our district, or at least unnoticed before by 
me ; a pretty little blue butterfly, for which I know no 
common appellation, and so have named it the “ spring 
azure,” (papilio argiolus). It appeared quite at the end 
of April, and in some numbers, but was yet a transient' 
visitor with us, as after the first week in May only a lin- 
gering specimen or so was visible. Few wild flowers 
are then in bloom ; but, leaving all herbaceous plants, 
it frequented chiefly the holly, the laurel, and the black 
currant, feeding on the honey secreted by the nectaries 
in their blossoms. If this butterfly be anywhere com- 
