THE MAZARINE BLUE 
237 
Aberration. The blue of the male is variable in hue. 
Normally it is intense brilliant blue ; in other cases it is 
violet-blue, and sometimes it is lustrous greenish-blue. 
Occasionally specimens occur of a very pale lilac colour, and 
in extreme cases of a dull leaden-grey. Both these rare 
types have occurred chiefly on the Kentish chalk hills. The 
female is liable to considerable aberration as regards the 
blue suffusion, which sometimes covers the whole surface, in 
which case the butterfly is known as ab. ccronus. Pale buff 
examples have also occurred. The under surface of both 
sexes is subject to extensive aberration in the markings, in a 
similar degree to that in L . coridon and P. icarus. Gynandrous 
specimens, more or less complete, have occasionally been taken. 
Genus CYANIRIS, Dalman, 1816 
THE MAZARINE BLUE 
Cyaniris semiargus (Rott., 1775). 
(Plate XXII, facing page 257) 
Except for an odd specimen being recorded from time to 
time, it is some sixty years since the last authentic specimens 
were captured in this country, therefore the Mazarine Blue 
is generally looked upon as an extinct British species. But 
owing to its extremely limited localisation, it is just possible 
that it may still exist in remote spots unworked by collectors. 
Haunts and Distribution. Formerly this butterfly was 
plentiful in several localities over the southern half of England 
and Wales, but varied in abundance in certain years. Its 
distribution ranged over twenty-two counties, from Dorset 
to Yorkshire. Glanvilles Wootton in Dorsetshire appears to 
have been one of its chief localities, where Mr. J. C. Dale took 
as many as twenty on June 13th, 1825. In his journal, he 
alludes to its scarcity in some years and abundance in others, 
and although he records it as common in 1834-35, it suddenly 
became scarce, and the last specimens seen in Dorset were 
two in 1841. Twelve examples were captured near Cardiff 
in 1876. On July 16th, 1902, a specimen of the Mazarine 
