S-1141001_COMPLETO.pdf

WOOD ARGUS. 37
centre. The hind wings have a pale buff patch near the
centre of the wing, but rather outside it, and a stiU smaller
and faint one on their fore edge: towards the margin they
have four buff patches, the fore one with a very small dot,
or none at all, the next with a larger one, and the two hinder
ones with still larger ones, each with a dot of white in its
centre. In some specimens the black prevails over the buff
more than in others, leaving only a narrow border of the latter
colour.
Underneath, the brown colour of the fore wings is more
clouded, the outer corners being much paler, with the eye
near the tip shewing through. The hind wings are more
varied with waved shades and lines of a darker and a lighter
colour, the upper outer corner being paler; and there is a
row of five or six white dots, varying in size near the outer
margin, which is darker, and not unfrequently has a tinge of
purple, the larger dots being in fact those of the upper side
shewing through.
This is a very variable insect, though preserving on the
whole a similarity of appearance. The males are generally
smaller and darker in colour than the females, the pale spots
on the latter being at the same time larger and more numerous
than in the former.
The figures are from specimens in my own collection.