Chapter III: The British Butterflies Described (2)

THE MOUNTAIN RINGLET BUTTERFLY (_Erebia Epiphron_), Plate IX., Fig 2.--It is strange that this fragile little fellow should choose the rough mountainside for his home. In a boggy hollow of Ben Lomond, nearly 2,000 feet above the sea, buried in snow almost the whole winter through, I know a colony of this butterfly which lives and flourishes under these seemingly impossible conditions. Doubtless it could be found on many more of our Highland hills.

The wings are a dark, fulvous brown, with an inconstant red bar near the outer edge of both wings, and on this rusty bar are usually a few small eye-spots, sometimes absent, or reduced to mere specks. The under side is almost similar. It is a very easily damaged little creature, requiring great care in handling, and I may add that in catching it is always advisable to carefully select your specimens _on the ground_, as quite a large percentage always appear to be rubbed, so soon do they become unfit for the cabinet even in the height of their season, which occurs during the first fortnight of July.

The caterpillar is said to be green, and feeds upon various grasses. It is also found on the mountains of Cumberland and Westmorland.

THE SCOTCH ARGUS BUTTERFLY (_Erebia Æthiops_), Plate IX., Fig. 3.--Like all butterflies, the Scotch Argus is seen at its best in its native haunts. You feel it has a subtle kind of association with its surroundings that defies definition. Seeing this species flirting about in dozens in a dell where the air is heavily laden with the perfume of Bog-myrtle and Honeysuckle, and where dragon-flies, bees, hover-flies, wasps, and ants, raise a drowsy hum dear to the ear of the entomologist, not to mention the hordes of bloodthirsty little midges, tends to the formation of a mental impression, which we always associate with this beautiful butterfly. It takes strange notions, too, at times. I have found it often "at home" as described above, and, again, I have come upon it solitary and alone on the bare hillside, far from the madding colony amongst which it was born. Five such wanderers I once encountered in a single day in August. All were on the move, either seeking a lost home or lover, or possibly pastures new.

The breeding ground is generally some sheltered glade or open corner of a wood. The butterfly is coloured a beautiful dark, velvety brown, with a broad, irregular tawny red band near the outer margin of both fore- and hind-wings. Within this band on the fore-wings are three black spots, each having a tiny white spot in its centre, and the hind-wings have in most cases a similar adornment; but as these spots are subject to great variation, always aim at securing a good row for your cabinet in order to show as many variations as you can find.

The under sides of the sexes differ from each other and are distinctive. In the female the under side of the fore-wing is marked very much the same as the upper side, but the whole colour scheme is lighter, while the hind-wings are a lighter brown, with a pale lavender band, distinctly iridescent and with just a trace of spots. The male, though nearly the same in markings, is very much darker.

The caterpillar is a grass-feeder, and is green, with some lighter and darker stripes. It is very like the grass it lives amongst. The eggs are laid in the autumn, and the young caterpillars hibernate.

THE SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY (_Pararge Ægeria_), Plate IX., Fig. 4.--There must be something peculiar about this butterfly, which always reminds me of a snake; it is curious how such an idea gets into one's head and sticks there. I have a lot of preserved home and foreign snakes, and not a few of them are checkered and marked like this butterfly's wings; one large skin of a boa constrictor bears a remarkable resemblance both in colour and spots. Nature seems to delight in these eyelike markings--you will find them on the trout, the peacock, the leopard, and on certain beetles, flowers, and birds' eggs. Wherever you find them they are always beautiful and interesting, and have a certain protective use.

The Speckled Wood is more easily recognized than described. The upper side is of a dull brown, spotted with pale yellow, or (as in some northern specimens I have taken) with white. There is one eye-spot near the tip of the fore-wing, and a row of three, sometimes four, similar spots in a submarginal row on the hind-wings. The under side is richer and warmer in colour, having a purple tinge, while the eye-spots of the hind-wings are nearly obsolete, but the spot on the fore-wing is, if anything, brighter. It is a fairly common species, and loves quiet, shady lanes on the edge of woodlands. In the South it is double-brooded. The female is larger and brighter than the male. The caterpillar is a grass-feeder, and is green, with lighter stripes. The butterfly is out from May to August.

PLATE 13.
1. Adonis Blue (Male)
2. Chalk-hill Blue (Male)
3. Little Blue
4. Azure Blue
5. Large Blue
6. Duke of Burgundy Fritillary
7. Grizzled Skipper
8. Dingy Skipper
9. Small Skipper
10. Lulworth Skipper
11. Large Skipper (Female)
12. Pearl Skipper (Male)
13. Checkered Skipper]

THE WALL BROWN BUTTERFLY (_Pararge megæra_), Plate IX., Fig. 5.--A rather smaller butterfly than the last, with the same number and arrangement of the eye-spots. The ground colour is, however, a light tawny brown, with dark brown markings. There is a broad diagonal bar across the fore-wings of the male. All the wings are bordered with brown. The female has two zigzag lines in place of the bar, and consequently has a lighter appearance; she is usually a bit larger than her mate. The under side of the hind-wings is a beautiful study in greys and browns, with the dainty little eye-spots double ringed. This species is common on waste lands and roadsides throughout the country; it is local in Scotland, but abundant where found, especially in Ayrshire. There are two broods only in the South.

The caterpillar is light green, with lines on the back and sides, and may be swept from grasses with the net in midsummer. The chrysalis is short and stout, and is found suspended by the tail to a strong grass stem.

The butterfly loves to rest on walls and stones which have been warmed by the sun; hence the name the "Wall Brown."

THE GRAYLING BUTTERFLY (_Satyrus Semele_), Plate IX., Fig. 6.--This fine butterfly is larger and bolder in flight than any other of this group in our country. But you must always remember that butterflies love the sunshine, and without its cheering presence they are all very dull fellows indeed. Hence it is that a butterfly may appear, and really is, difficult to catch on a bright, warm day; yet it may fall an easy victim, and give but indifferent sport on a dull one. The Grayling has a strong partiality for living near the sea, and is found all along the west coast of Scotland, whether it be on a rock-bound shore or in a sandy, sheltered bay. During July and August one is pretty sure to encounter the Grayling sporting along just above high-water mark, and, not infrequently, whole colonies of them. The lichen-covered rocks above the shore are his favourite resting-place, and here he can sit and bask in the sun, and once he has closed his wings he may be said to have disappeared, so beautifully does the under side of his wings blend with the colour of the surrounding rocks. He shows a certain amount of wisdom, too, at times, for if you make a stroke at him with a net and miss, he is off to sea, flit-flitting just above the water, and making a wide detour before coming back to land.

The wings are brown, with an irregular light tawny band, in which, on the fore-wing, are two eye-spots, and on the hind-wing only one. But the finest ornamentation is on the under side of the hind-wings, which bear a strong resemblance to a granite rock speckled with lichens.

The caterpillar, I think, feeds mostly at night, as I have found it during the day under stones in hilly districts near the sea. It is variable in colour--brownish to black, with a few lighter lines on the back and sides, and it has a dirty putty-colour on the under side. It feeds on grass in May. The butterfly is out from July to September. It appears in August in Scotland.

THE MEADOW BROWN BUTTERFLY (_Epinephele Janira_), Plate IX., Fig. 7.--Perhaps this is the commonest of all our brown butterflies. On roadside or hillside, moor or meadow, one can hardly fail to notice this homely brown insect all through the summer rambles. The males are smaller and dingier than the females. They have an obscure reddish patch on the fore-wing which, with an eye-spot, relieves the upper surface of dark brown. The females are brighter and often more variable, the fulvous patch on their fore-wings being large and bright, and even extending into a band on the hind-wings. There is occasionally an inner patch of suffused yellow on the centre of the fore-wings; the under side is a paler brown, with a decided band of grey-brown on the hind-wing, which is also slightly scalloped.

The caterpillar is a delicate green, with a white line on either side, and may be swept from moorland grasses in May and June. The chrysalis is short and dumpy; pale papery grey, rather fragile, and is hung up by the tail to a grass-stem. The butterfly is out practically all through the summer.

THE SMALL MEADOW BROWN (_Epinephele Tithonus_), Plate IX., Fig. 8.--Also a common species, but does not so range far north. Wings, a bright tawny red inclining to yellow, bordered with dark brown, with an indistinct diagonal bar across the wings in the male. There is also a black spot near the tip of the fore-wings containing two tiny white spots; occasionally there are two small eye-spots on the hind-wings also. The under side of the hind-wing is shaded with red-brown and pale ochre, and bears a few small white spots surrounded by red rings. Under side of the upper wing is pale tawny yellow with outer edge dark; there is a black spot at the tip with _two_ white dots in it.

The caterpillar varies from green to grey-brown; there is a dark red line along the back, and two light lines run along each side. It is a grass-feeder, and prefers a drier situation than the last species. Perhaps this is the reason for it being found in Ayrshire, the driest and sandiest county in Scotland. July and August are the butterfly's months.

THE RINGLET BUTTERFLY (_Epinephele Hyperanthus_), Plate IX., Fig. 9.--This is a common and not very attractive-looking butterfly. Its colours, if it can be said to have any, are dingy in the extreme. The upper surface is a dark sooty-brown hardly relieved by a few faint eye-spots, which are very small and not always present. A dirty white fringe completes the upper side. The under side affords some compensation, however, for here we have the ringlets in some variety--pale yellow for the outer ring, which encloses black with a white spot in the centre. They are arranged three on the upper wing and five on the lower. They vary in size, as will be seen from the figure (Plate XIV., Fig. 9). It is not a very lively insect; it frequents dry pasture-fields in Scotland, preferring those bordering the sea.

The caterpillar is like the last species, but a greener grey; it feeds on grasses. The butterfly is out in July. When you do happen upon this species, keep a sharp lookout for varieties, as it has quite a range of well-known "sports"; the variation is mostly on the under surface.

THE MARSH RINGLET (_Cænonympha Typhon_), Plate IX., Fig. 10.--This insect has to be sought for on the swampy moorlands and mountains of the North. It is of a dingy fawn-colour, sometimes brighter, often as if it had been held over the fire and "Peat-reekit." It is somewhat remarkable what a number of creatures inhabiting this same region have gradually come to assume a similar coloration. Many of the Highland cattle on these moors have this dirty tawny-yellow tint; the deer and the hare find protection under the same guise. The upper surface of the Marsh Ringlet is varied with a few eye-spots, though I possess specimens with no spots at all, while others have four on each of the hind-wings and two on each of the fore-wings. The under side is generally better marked by eyes, six forming a row round the outer margin of each hind-wing, of which the first and last are usually the largest; fore-wing under side--two eye-spots, the one nearest the tip being the larger. There is also a light bar across this wing, and this is continued on to the hind-wing, where it broadens out and is irregular and often interrupted. The ground colour here is a subdued green-grey, getting lighter towards the fringe. Females have more ample and rounded wings than the males. I find the most comfortable way to hunt this butterfly is with bare feet and legs, and the trousers well tucked up, which will perhaps convey some idea of the nature of the ground it loves to flit over. Splash, splash you go over the _Sphagnum_ and Cotton-grass, Heather and Marsh Wortleberry, while overhead the eerie cries of the curlew and the lapwing remind the naturalist that there are many young families hidden amongst the Heather, who will rejoice when they see the last of him and that fearful net of his.

The caterpillar is green, with white lines, and feeds on Cotton-grass in May. The butterfly appears towards the end of June.

THE SMALL HEATH BUTTERFLY (_Cænonympha Pamphilus_), Plate XII., Fig. 1.--This can be best described as a smaller and brighter edition of _Typhon_; occasionally a _large_ specimen may even be mistaken for a _small Typhon_, but you can always tell the smaller species by the presence of only one eye-spot on the tip of the fore-wing, and no eye-spots anywhere else. Its habits, too, are different, preferring, as it does, a much drier and more pastoral country to sport over. And its range is also wider, being found all over the country from June till September.

The caterpillar is green and a grass-feeder. I have swept it from grass in August.

THE BROWN HAIRSTREAK (_Thecla betulæ_), Plate XII., Fig. 6.--There are five British species included in the very distinct group of interesting little butterflies, to which this species belongs. All of them are nearly black on the upper surface, but the undersides are exceedingly chaste in pattern, if not showy in colour. The Brown Hairstreak is the largest of the five. The male is a dark brown relieved by a lighter spot edged with black on the fore-wing, and the bottom angle of the hind-wing and the little tails are orange. The female has an orange bar across the fore-wing. The under side (Plate XIV., Fig. 7) is a tawny orange inclining to deep orange at the margins; a double white irregular line edged with black runs across the hind-wings, and between these lines the tawny shade is darker; the fringe is white.

The caterpillar is green, marked with diagonal yellow lines and tapers considerably towards each extremity. It feeds on Birch and Blackthorn. Though by no means a common insect, it is found in a great many localities from North to South of England, but not in Scotland. The butterfly is out in August.

THE WHITE-LETTER HAIRSTREAK (_Thecla w-album_), Plate XII., Fig. 4.--A smaller and, on the upper surface, a blacker insect than the last. Excepting for a small indistinct spot in the centre, and near the outer margin of the fore-wing, the upper surface is devoid of markings of any kind. The under side, however, provides all the distinctive features necessary for identification. The colour is a cool brown-grey, the fore-wing being traversed by a white line; the hind-wing has a similar white line, which forms a W at the basal angle; under it is a broad orange scalloped band, edged with black and white; the extreme outer edge is black, and this black edging scallops into the orange band. Tail black.

The caterpillar feeds on Elm; is pale green, with yellow bars and two rows of whitish humps along the back. It may be got by beating the Elm in early summer. The Butterfly appears in July, but is far from common, York being about its northern limit.

THE BLACK HAIRSTREAK (_Thecla pruni_), Plate XII., Fig. 5.--About the same size as the last, but many individuals are smaller. The ground colour is almost black, but near the tail are two or three conspicuous orange spots, which are not present in _w-Album_. The orange band on the under side of the hind-wing is much bolder and is edged with black spots on _both_ sides, the inner row of spots being partially ringed with white; the white hairstreaks are fainter and slightly interrupted. This is the rarest of the group, and confined to a few localities in the South and South-East.

The caterpillar is green, with yellow spots and lines; it is found on Sloe and Oak. The perfect insect is out in July.

THE PURPLE HAIRSTREAK (_Thecla quercus_), Plate XII., Fig. 3.--The commonest and most widely distributed of the Hairstreaks extending well into Scotland where, however, it is not common. The upper surface in the male is shot with purple, while the female has a patch on either fore-wing of a still more pronounced sheen. The under side (Plate XIV., Fig. 8) is a cool grey; the "hairstreak" is white and strongly defined by an inner edging of dark brown. There are also two orange eye-spots near the tail, which in this species is rather small.

PLATE 14
1. Pupa of Red Admiral
2. Larva of Red Admiral
3. Larva of Small White
4. New Small Skipper
5. Pupa of Small White (showing hole through which ichneumons emerged)
6. Larva of White Admiral
7. Brown Hairstreak (under side)
8. Purple Hairstreak (under side)
9. Ringlet (under side)]

The caterpillar is a reddish-brown and grey mixture, with a lighter angular pattern along the back, and a light line along the sides. It feeds on Oak.

I once came upon a small colony of this little butterfly flying round some Oak-trees in Argyllshire, but not one of them came lower than 15 feet from the ground, and after trying a variety of expedients I had to retire discomfited without a single capture. A visit to the same spot on subsequent days failed to reveal a single specimen. August was the month. In the South it is out in June.

THE GREEN HAIRSTREAK (_Thecla rubi_), Plate XII., Fig. 2.--The smallest of the British Hairstreaks and a fairly common species. Deep dingy brown above, bright emerald-green below, traversed by white hairstreaks, although in some specimens I have taken these white lines are absent. An elusive little butterfly, as when it settles amongst green herbage with the wings closed it is rendered almost invisible, so well does it harmonize with its surroundings.

The caterpillar is green, spotted and striped with yellow; it feeds on Bramble and Broom. The butterfly is out in June generally, but I have found it in the closing days of May in a favourable season. In the South a second brood appears in August. It reaches as far north as Perthshire, and is frequently met with in the West Highlands.

THE LARGE COPPER BUTTERFLY (_Polyommatus Dispar_), Plate XII., Fig. 7.--I am afraid there is now only one British locality where this fine butterfly can be successfully pursued. Strange to say it is not one of the few places where it was found so abundantly a century ago. Neither is it any use going after it there with a net, or any other of the usual appliances.

The correct place and method are no great secret, being, as it is, in the very heart of London--to wit, Stevens' Auction Rooms, King Street, Covent Garden. A cheque-book there is a more reliable, and, if properly handled, sure means of bringing a specimen into one's collection. I don't suppose there is anybody now alive who remembers having seen the Large Copper flitting about its native Fen lands so long ago as 1850 or thereabout, for the precise date is difficult to discover. The Large Copper has become as extinct as the dodo or the great auk. Fortunately, many specimens are still to be seen in old and well-preserved collections, and not a few of these have already passed through the hands of the auctioneer. There are various Continental "Coppers" which more or less resemble the "dear departed." And it is as well that the points of difference should be well known, as these foreigners can be had for a few pence. _Dispar_ sells at as many pounds.

The male and female differ very much from each other, the male being a clear scarlet copper tint, with black margins and a small black spot in the centre of the fore-wing. The female is larger and not so brilliant; the black marginal band on the fore-wing is broader, and has a row of black spots in addition to the central black spot. The hind-wings are much dingier, except for a brighter band round the outer margin next the black outline. It was out in July and August in the Fen lands of the south-eastern counties. Various causes have been assigned as the reason for its disappearance. Draining of, and burning rubbish on, these wastes, and the constant persecution the insect had to endure from mercenary natives who, once they discovered there was money in it--and the more money, doubtless, the scarcer it became--all lent their quota of assistance towards finally exterminating this fine butterfly.

THE SMALL COPPER BUTTERFLY (_Polyommatus Phlæas_), Plate XII., Fig. 8.--Less in size but hardly less brilliant in colour, the Small Copper is not likely to share the fate of its larger relative. A lively, restless, little imp it is, and has well earned the title of "the flea," by which it is known in some districts.

As it is the "only Copper we possess now," a detailed description is unnecessary, but I would direct the young collector's attention to the fact that there are some nice variations of this common little species apt to be overlooked, perhaps the most striking being a white form, and another and commoner one having a row of blue spots on the upper surface of the hind-wings.

The caterpillar feeds on various species of Sorrel, and is green with three red lines.

There are several broods in the year, but it is generally more abundant in the autumn. Found everywhere.

THE LONG-TAILED BLUE (_Lycæna Bætica_), Plate XII., Fig. 9.--While there is no doubt this lovely little blue has been repeatedly taken on our shores, the fact remains that we must still regard it as an occasional visitor only. It may, and we all hope it will, yet be classed amongst our resident fauna. From what we know of it, it seems to have a more than usually wide range; it is recorded for Europe, Africa, Western Asia, East Indies, and Australia. The male is a deep blue, with two black spots just above the tails; the female shows more brown. The under side is quite different from that of any of our native blues, being barred and spotted in white, and two shades of fawn-brown, with two green spots near the tail. A lookout for it may be kept all along our south coast during July and August.

THE SILVER-STUDDED BLUE (_Lycæna Ægon_), Plate XII., Fig. 10.--In all of the group to which this insect belongs, numbering about ten species, the males differ very much in colour, especially on the upper surface, from the females. The males are nearly always blue of various shades, and the females brown and blue in varying proportions.

In _Ægon_, the male is a warm violet-blue, the outer margins being bordered with black. The female is brown shot with blue, which becomes more intense near the outer margin of the hind-wings, where there is a row of orange spots touching an outer row of black spots; but these two rows may be nearly or altogether absent. The under side (Plate XV., Fig. 4) is banded with orange and black-spotted, the black spots being ringed with white. The silver studs are on the outer margin of the orange band, principally on the hind-wings. This is a fairly abundant species all over England on dry soils, and has been met with in Scotland. The caterpillar is green, sometimes brown, with a darker line along the back and white lines on the sides. It feeds on Clover, Vetch, Broom, and other leguminous plants. The butterfly is out in July and August.

THE BROWN ARGUS (_Lycæna Astrarche_), Plate XII., Fig. 11.--Here is a "blue" in which _both_ sexes are brown, a rather unusual thing. In every other particular, however, it bears the family hall-mark. The upper surface is dark brown, bordered with bright orange spots. The under side (Plate XV., Fig. 6) is banded with orange and spotted with black dots ringed with white. For the Scotch variety, _Artaxerxes_, these spots are solid white, and there is in addition a _white discoidal spot_ on the upper side of the fore-wing. This variety is local in Scotland, but fairly numerous where found, generally near the sea, and plentiful all along the Ayrshire coast in June and July. It is said to feed on _Helianthemum_, but has probably many other food-plants, such as the Hemlock Stork's-bill (_Erodium cicutarium_), which is common where it flies.

The caterpillar is green, with a darker line along the back, and a pale line on each side; head black and shining. There are many intermediate forms between _Artaxerxes_ and the type.

THE COMMON BLUE (_Lycæna Icarus_), Plate XII., Fig. 12.--Known to everyone who sees anything at all of the country. It is _the_ blue butterfly, noticed even by those who hardly know a butterfly from a bullfrog.

An intelligent little chap he is, too, with an eye for his own safety, as I once found when I had the opportunity of observing quite a number of them on a piece of waste ground near the sea. The weather was dull and threatening rain, and not a butterfly was on the wing; but I could see plenty of our common blue friend hanging on, with closed wings, to the ends of rushes, grass-stalks, and on thistle-tops; but always when I came within a step or two they adroitly changed their position, putting whatever they were resting or hanging on between us, just edging round the corner as it were, so as to be out of sight. Apparently the idea of _flying_ away from an enemy was here considered as too risky under the conditions which prevailed; the safest plan was to hide, so hide they did. It was the funniest game of hide-and-seek I ever played. I have since seen the small blue dragon-flies adopt the same tactics on the rushes by the side of a pond. No wonder this little fellow is so common. In the struggle for existence he has shown himself able and well-fitted to survive; nevertheless I had a good time amongst them that afternoon and boxed some fine varieties. The male bears a warm shade of blue, and the female is from nearly black to brown, with a blue blush spreading from the body outwards, both wings being bordered with a row of orange and black spots, often on a ground of white. Sometimes, too, there is a discoidal black spot edged with white; but the females are very variable. The under side (Plate XV., Fig. 5) has the characteristic markings of the "blues," and, excepting that the female is a little darker in ground colour, both sexes are pretty much alike.

The caterpillar is green, with a dark line on the back, and a light yellow line on each side; it feeds on Trefoil and Clover. The perfect insect is common everywhere from June till August.

THE CLIFDEN BLUE, OR ADONIS BLUE (_Lycæna Bellargus_), Plate XIII., Fig. 1.--It will be sufficient to point out the specific characters of each of these blues without going into minute detail, which would be wearisome, even if it were possible (which it is not) to paint in words what Nature has painted so admirably on the butterflies' wings. The male Adonis is a brilliant azure blue; fringe, deep and white, and divided into sections by black lines. Female, brown to nearly black, with a row of orange and black spots round the base of the hind-wing and sometimes continued faintly into the fore-wing; it is browner on the under side than the male. Both resemble the Common Blue very much, but the spots are scarcely so numerous or so bold. The wings, however, are generally more ample, those of the males being more rounded.

The caterpillar is green, with a darker line on the back, and a yellow line on each side; spotted with orange on the back. This is a fairly common species confined mostly to the South, where, being double-brooded, it is out in June and August.

THE CHALK-HILL BLUE (_Lycæna Corydon_), Plate XIII., Fig. 2.--A larger insect than the last, and the male an extremely pale iridescent blue, which is shaded off at the margins into a black border, with a white fringe checked with black. Female, dark brown, black and white checked fringe; eye-spots nearly obsolete along the margin of both wings. Under side in male almost white, shading to pale green, blue next the body on the fore-wing; hind-wing, with a wash of pale brown for the ground; spots black, outlined with white. A marginal row of orange spots is confined to the hind-wing in the male, but extends to the fore-wing in the female; the ground colour of it, however, is a pale fawn, which sets forth the eye-spots beautifully.

The caterpillar is green, striped on the back and sides with yellow. A decidedly southern species, frequenting the chalk downs of the South and the Isle of Wight, or the limestone districts of the Midlands. It is out in July and August.

THE AZURE BLUE OR HOLLY BLUE (_Lycæna Argiolus_), Plate XIII., Fig. 4.--This is a very dainty little butterfly of a deep sky-blue, with rounded wings narrowly fringed with white, ticked with black. The female has a broad, irregular, black border, occasionally extending well into the wing. But the under side (Plate XV., Fig. 3) marks a new departure, being of a very pale, shimmering blue, with only a few small, black spots, which form an incomplete row on fore- and hind-wings.

PLATE 15
1. Brown Argus (var. _Artaxerxes_)
2. Brown Argus (var. _Artaxerxes_) (under side)
3. Azure Blue (under side)
4. Silver-Studded Blue (under side)
5. Common Blue (under side)
6. Brown Argus (under side)
7. Mazarine Blue (upper side)
8. Mazarine Blue (under side)
9. Chalkhill Blue (under side)
10. Large Blue (under side)
11. Little Blue (under side)]

The caterpillar is green, with a dark line on the back, and a black head. It feeds on the _flowers_ of Holly, Ivy, and Buckthorn.

Being double-brooded, the perfect insect appears first in April and May, and again in August. It is generally distributed in England, though commonest in the South; not known to occur in Scotland.

THE MAZARINE BLUE (_Lycæna semiargus_), Plate XV., Figs. 7 and 8.--Males, a very dark purple-blue--in fact, this is our darkest "Blue," and shares the distinction with the Long-Tailed Blue of being extremely scarce. Possibly those met with now are visitors from the Continent. The blue deepens into a black border at the margins; fringe short and white. Female, a uniform dark brown; under side a pale buff colour, with an irregular row of black spots edged with white. There are no orange spots on this species. It is said to feed on Thrift; hence it is likeliest to be met with near the coast during July. Good Continental specimens can be purchased cheaply, or got by exchange. And I hold it is better to fill in your row with these, carefully labelling them to indicate their source, than to have an empty space always staring you in the face. Unless this species becomes more common, the average collector's chance of capturing British specimens is exceedingly remote.

THE LITTLE BLUE (_Lycæna Minima_), Plate XIII., Fig. 3.--The smallest of our butterflies, the average expanse being only 3/4 inch. Male, blackish-brown dusted with blue towards the base of the wings. Female, solid brown; under side (Plate XV., Fig. 11) a pale salmon, blue spotted as in _Argiolus_, with black outlined with white; no orange spots on either sex.

The caterpillar is dull green, orange-striped on back and sides. It feeds on Trefoils, etc. This species is local, but common all over the British Isles, except in the extreme North. It is one of our early species, appearing in May and June.

THE LARGE BLUE (_Lycæna Arion_), Plate XIII., Fig. 5.--This is the largest of our "Blues" and the rarest of our really resident species, and although it appears to be able to hold its own and maintain its numbers fairly well, I would strongly urge collectors to at least let all the "fair" and worn specimens retain their liberty. Again and again I have seen specimens set up and sent out in exchange that should never have been taken. Of a dark blue colour, black-bordered, _Arion_ can always be recognized by the row of black spots across the middle of the fore-wing; they are sometimes very large in size. There is occasionally a row of black spots round both wings, just inside the margin. The under side (Plate XV., Fig. 10) is a pale grey, gradually shading into a bright blue-green next the body, profusedly spotted with black in white rings.

The caterpillar, which feeds on Wild Thyme in the spring, is dark rust-coloured. The butterfly is out in July, and is found mostly in the extreme south-west counties.

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY FRITILLARY (_Nemeobius Lucina_), Plate XIII., Fig. 6.--Very like a diminutive member of the Fritillary family, but it has no real connection with it, and better still, it has a whole family (_Erycinidæ_) and genus to itself, being the only one of its kind found in Europe. The upper surface is a tawny orange, with dark brown checkerings, while a row of marginal black spots runs round the outer margins. The under side of the hind-wings has a double row of pale, almost white, spots across the centre, and black spots, similar to those on the upper side, round the edge.

The caterpillar is short and tapering, pale brown with a darker line on the back, and a lighter one on the sides. It feeds on Primrose. This species is said to be double-brooded in the South, out in June and again in August as far north as Carlisle and the Lake District. Note: the female has six perfect walking legs, the male only four, the front pair being rudimentary, as with many of the larger butterflies.

THE GRIZZLED SKIPPER (_Syrichthus Malvæ_), Plate XIII., Fig. 7.--The Skippers, of which there are eight species in this country, are often referred to as the connecting-link between the butterflies and moths, and not without some justification. The antennæ are somewhat short, club-shaped, and _hooked_ at the extremity. The head is large, and the antennæ spring from just above the eyes; their base is thus wide apart. Compare a Skipper with a Blue in which the roots of the antennæ almost touch. The body of the Skipper is stout and mothlike, and the wings not so ample, and more angular than in the average butterfly. The caterpillars live in a rolled leaf or several leaves spun together, and pupate in a slight cocoon.

The Grizzled Skipper is a small butterfly measuring just over 3/4 of an inch in expanse. The ground colour is nearly black, checkered with white square spots, as is also the fringe. The under side is lighter.

The caterpillar is a rusty brown, with lighter lines on the back and sides. The species is doubled-brooded, appearing in May and August, and is generally distributed over the country as far north as the South-West of Scotland.

THE DINGY SKIPPER (_Nisoniades Tages_), Plate XIII., Fig. 8.--This is dull grey-brown, and very Quaker-like in its sombre garb, with a lighter and a darker band across the wings. The under side is a pale drab, with a few faint light spots. And truly one may be excused if at times it is mistaken for a night-flying moth.

The caterpillar feeds on trefoil, and is green, with four yellow lines and some black dots; it is very stout in the middle, tapering to either end. This Skipper is also doubled-brooded, appearing in May and August, generally on dry soils such as the chalk, or limestone, or, as in Scotland, on the sand-dunes of Ayrshire, where it is locally common.

THE SMALL SKIPPER (_Hesperia Thaumas_), Plate XIII., Fig. 9.--Upper side a uniform tawny-orange shade, with a dark brown or black border. There is also a black dash across the fore-wing of the male, which is absent in the female. On the under side there is a tawny patch along the inner margin of the hind-wing, and the tip of the fore-wing is light. These are good identification points, as they are fairly stable.

The caterpillar is green, with two white lines on the back and a yellow line on either side. It feeds on grasses in the spring. The butterfly appears in July and is common in England, but is not known in Scotland.

THE NEW SMALL SKIPPER (_Hesperia Lineola_), Plate XIV., Fig. 4.--Is very like the last, so much so, that it had been taken for many years by collectors and confused with _Thaumas_. There were few collections that did not possess a mixed series. But once its identity was established, it was soon placed in its rightful position. It may be distinguished from _Thaumas_ by the absence of the fulvous patch on the inner margin of the under side of the hind-wings, and also by the absence of the light tip on the under side of the fore-wing. The black dash across the upper side of the fore-wing of the male is fainter, shorter, and more often altogether absent. The under side of the hind-wing is a light buff without marks of any kind.

The caterpillar is a bronze-green, with four yellow lines on the back and one on the sides; it feeds on grasses in damp meadows, mostly in the south and south-eastern counties. The species is local, but common where it occurs. Out in July and August.

THE LULWORTH SKIPPER (_Hesperia Actæon_), Plate XIII., Fig. 10.--An extremely local species, being only found in two or three localities on the south coast. It may be distinguished from the two preceding Skippers, first, by its more dingy colour; second, by the female having a semicircular row of light spots near the tip of the fore-wing. These are very faintly visible in some males, but they have, in addition, a black streak along the centre of the wing. The under side in both sexes is similar, a pale dingy fawn, with no particular markings. The antennæ are very short.

The caterpillar is green, with a dark line on the back, and a double line of yellow on each side. This species may be looked for on rough ground facing the sea during July and August.

THE LARGE SKIPPER (_Hesperia Sylvanus_), Plate XIII., Fig. 11.--Upper surface tawny-orange shading into darker at the margin of both wings; on this dark margin are a few pale spots, mostly at the tip of the fore-wing. The male has an almost black streak near the centre of the fore-wing; this is not present in the female. The under side is a light tawny olive, with pale lighter spots.

The caterpillar is green, with a dark line on the back, and a light stripe on the sides. It is a grass-feeder. This Skipper is abundant all over England in May and again in August, but is rare in Scotland.

THE PEARL SKIPPER (_Hesperia Comma_), Plate XIII., Fig. 12.--This species is not quite so large as the last. It is darker, and the spot markings are much brighter and more decided. This is the case especially on the under side, as there the spots are bright enough to suggest pearls. Hence the name.

Note, too, the dark streak in the middle of the fore-wing of the male; it is divided along the centre by a white line. This white line is wanting in the Large Skipper. The dark streak is only on the upper wings of the males. _Comma_ is also a more local and scarce insect, being confined mostly to the South of England.

The caterpillar is greyish-red, and has a double dark line on either side; it feeds on various Vetches and Trefoils. The butterfly is out in July and August.

THE CHECKERED SKIPPER (_Carterocephalus Palæmon_), Plate XIII., Fig. 13.--The upper side of this butterfly is speckled and bordered with tawny-orange spots on a dark brown ground. The under side has a lighter ground colour, and the spots are outlined with dark brown.

The caterpillar is dark, almost black, with a yellow line on the sides, and, as it hibernates over the winter, may be looked for in the spring. It feeds on grasses and Plantain.

This is a very local species, and I am afraid, to judge from reports, becoming rarer. The south and south-eastern counties are the favoured localities.

THE MILKWEED BUTTERFLY (_Danais Erippus_; variety, _Archippus_), Plate VIII., Fig. 3.--This is an American species, but an occasional visitor to our shores, and, as it is a strong-flying species with the bump of adventure abnormally developed, it is now met with in many lands where it was at one time unknown. I have large fine specimens from Canada, so it can stand the rigours of the Canadian winter; and if it should find a suitable food-plant for the caterpillars here, we may hope, in the near future, to add this fine butterfly to the select little band of British butterflies.

INDEX

British Butterflies described, 29

Butterflies, antennæ of, 1, 10
capture and preservation, 13
eyes of, 11
how to kill, 16
list of British, 27
sense and smell, 10
sight, 10
tongues of, 12

Butterfly net, 14

Collection, storing of, 25

Drying-case, 22

Entomological pins, 17

FAMILIES OF BUTTERFLIES.
_Apaturidæ_, 28
_Erycinidæ_, 29
_Hesperidæ_, 29
_Lycenidæ_, 28
_Nymphalidæ_, 27
_Papilionidæ_, 27
_Pieridæ_, 27
_Satyridæ_, 28

"Grease," treatment of, 17

Ichneumons, 5

Larvae, preservation of, 22

_Lepidoptera_, 1

Life-story of Butterflies, 1

Pins, entomological, 17

Scales, 9

Setting boards, 18
bristle, 18
needle, 19
Paisley method, 20
with braces, 18

SPECIES OF BUTTERFLIES:
Blue, Adonis, 79
Azure, 80
Chalkhill, 80
Clifden, 79
Common, 78
Holly, 80
Large, 82
Little, 81
Long-tailed, 76
Mazarine, 81
Silver-studded, 76
Brimstone, 41
Brown Argus, 77
Camberwell Beauty, 55
Clouded Yellow, 39
Pale, 38
Comma, 51
Copper, Large, 74
Small, 75
Fritillary, Duke of Burgundy, 82
Dark Green, 44
Glanville, 49
Greasy, 48
Heath, 51
High Brown, 46
Pearl-bordered, 43
Queen of Spain, 44
Silver-washed, 47
Small Pearl-bordered, 42
Grayling, 65
Hairstreak, Black, 72
Brown, 71
Green, 73
Purple, 72
White-letter, 71
Meadow Brown, 67
Small, 67
Milkweed, 87
Orange-tip, 37
Painted Lady, 58
Peacock, 55
Purple Emperor, 59
Red Admiral, 56
Ringlet, 68
Marsh, 69
Mountain, 62
Scotch Argus, 62
Skipper, Checkered, 87
Dingy, 84
Grizzled, 83
Large, 86
Lulworth, 85
New Small, 85
Pearl, 86
Small, 84
Small Heath, 70
Speckled Wood, 64
Swallow Tail, 29
Tortoiseshell, Large, 52
Small, 53
Wall Brown, 65
White Admiral, 59
Bath, 36
Black-veined, 32
Green-veined, 35
Large Garden, 33
Marbled, 61
Small Garden, 34
Wood, 38

BILLING AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, GUILDFORD, ENGLAND