THE SHORT-TAILED BLUE 
213 
linear mark at the end of the 
discoidal cell ; the outer margin is 
narrowly bordered with black ; the 
hind wing with the costal margin and 
the upper half of the outer margin are 
bordered with black, which is broken 
up into spots along the lower half, 
forming a sub-marginal series. Vein 
two is slightly elongated into a very 
fine, short, black and white tail ; the 
inner margin is silvery-grey. 
Female. The ground colour is . Spiracle and spine of the 
dusky-brown suffused with violet Blue, 
scales over the base of both fore and 
hind wings, the latter with two orange spots near the anal angle. 
Under Side . The under side of both sexes is similar and 
bears a close resemblance to that of the Holly Blue. The 
ground colour is silvery-grey, blending into light bluish at the 
base. The fore wing has a black mark at the end of the cell ; 
midway between this and the margin is a transverse series 
of white-ringed black spots, more or less oblong, and a 
double sub-marginal row of faint dusky blotches slightly 
tinged with dull orange. The hind wing has a faint mark 
at the end of the cell and ten white-ringed black spots dis¬ 
tributed over the surface; of these, two or sometimes three, 
are near the base ; the rest form an irregular series across 
the wing beyond the middle. There 
is a sub-marginal row of three 
orange blotches between the anal 
angle and vein four; these are 
internally edged with black, and 
there is a black spot below the two 
largest; the spot between veins 
two and three is deep black and 
partly edged with brilliant glitter¬ 
ing silver scales. The series of 
blotches is continued along the 
margin to the outer angle, but 
they are indistinct from vein 
four. 
The Short-tailed Blue drying 
its wings just after emergence. 
