The male (Plate VII, fig. 5) is deep purple blue, with a narrow dark-brown border, and the female (fig. 6 of the same plate) dark brown. The under side of both sexes is light greyish-brown or drab, with a row of black spots in white rings parallel with the hind margin of each wing, and no reddish or orange spots. This pretty butterfly seems to have been plentiful in several localities some years since, but has not been seen for a long time; and it is probable that its reckless slaughter by those who catch all the pretty butterflies they can secure either for ornament or for gain has caused its name to be permanently removed from our list of natives. [Illustration: FIG. 93.--THE MAZARINE BLUE--UNDER SIDE.] It was formerly abundant in Dorset, Hereford, Glamorganshire, and near Shirley, and was on the wing in June and July, but it disappeared from our view before a full account of its life history had been prepared. _The Small Blue_ (_Lycaena Minima_) We now come to the smallest of all British butterflies--a little insect that measures less than one inch from tip to tip when its wings are expanded. Its upper surface is of a dull and dark-brown colour, the bases of the wings being dusted with blue in the case of the male. The under side is pale drab, tinged with greenish blue at the bases of the wings, and marked with black spots in light rings as shown in the accompanying figure. The upper side is represented in fig. 7 of Plate VII. [Illustration: FIG. 94.--THE SMALL BLUE--UNDER SIDE.] This butterfly is on the wing in May and June, and during the latter month the eggs are deposited on the flowers of the lady's fingers (_Anthyllis vulneraria_). The caterpillars are hatched in about a week, and commence feeding on the calyx of the buds, and soon burrow into them till they are quite concealed. The colour of the caterpillar is brownish, with a darker stripe on the back, and a row of oblique brown streaks on each side. This species is widely distributed in England, and is plentiful in most chalky and limestone districts. It is also found in parts of Scotland and Ireland. _The Large Blue_ (_Lycaena Arion_) The last of our Blues is the largest of the genus, and is, with the exception of _Semiargus_, the rarest. It is a very local insect, appearing in small numbers, during June and July, in parts of South Devon, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, and a few other counties. [Illustration: FIG. 95.--THE LARGE BLUE--UNDER SIDE.] The colour of the upper side is a dark and rich blue, with a broad dark border on the hind margins, and a group of black spots near the centre of the fore wings. The under side (fig. 95) is of a pearly grey, without any red spots, but having a double border of black spots, and also an irregular row of black spots in white rings across the middle of each wing. The caterpillar feeds on thyme (_Thymus Serpyllum_), on which plant the eggs are laid singly, generally on the flower heads. CHAPTER XVI