THE LARGE BLUE 
243 
dant. Abroad its range extends throughout Europe, except 
for the Polar regions and the south-west ; it is also found in 
Armenia and Southern Siberia. No cause for its disappearance 
from the various localities where it was found in former years 
can be assigned. Besides Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Devon 
and Cornwall, where it still occurs, its haunts were distributed 
over eight other counties from which it has entirely disappeared. 
Its habitats vary according to the locality. On the Devon 
and Cornish coasts it frequents the wild and rugged hillsides 
and valleys, where the slopes with a southern aspect abound 
with a dense growth of Furze, Bramble, Heather, and an 
abundance of Wild Thyme. M. arion may be found over 
the whole of such ground, from the summits of the hills to 
the depths of the valleys, yet it is along the latter that I 
have found this beautiful insect most abundant. The ordinary 
flight of the Large Blue is somewhat slow and fluttering, 
but upon any disturbance, its speed is both rapid and its 
flight straight, when it either goes right away or takes refuge 
in a Furze bush, which appears to be its common habit. 
During dull weather M, arion may commonly be found 
resting on Furze bushes, Heather, Thyme and especially on 
Rushes. On the last-named they chiefly rest for the night, 
at first sitting head downwards, but as twilight fades into 
darkness they turn about and sleep head upwards, as do the 
other species of the " Blues. 1 ’ 
Time of Appearance. M. arion is single-brooded in this 
country, appearing on the wing in June, throughout July, 
and in the early part of August. On the Cotswolds its appear¬ 
ance is rather earlier than in Cornwall. In the latter locality 
I have found freshly-emerged specimens as late as the first 
week of August, while in Gloucestershire Mr. Glanville Clutter- 
buck informs me the latest date he has of its occurrence was 
July 19th in 1888, a cold, wet summer. The latest record 
of its appearance in Cornwall is August 15th, 1902 ; in this 
county the period of emergence extends over a month. Ihe 
first portion of the brood, mostly consisting of males, is on the 
wing during the last ten days of June. By the time these 
are getting more or less worn, and scanty in numbers, the 
second, and by far the larger portion of the brood, begins to 
appear, and the numbers increase during the second and third 
