The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. n.d. Abstract of Westwood, The Butterflies of Great Britain, etc. CUL-DAR81.110. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 2.2022. RN1

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR80-86 contain material for Darwin's book Descent of man (1871).

Westwood, J. O. 1855. The Butterflies of Great Britain, with Their Transformations, delineated and described. London.

[110]

Westwoods Butterflies of Gt Britain 1855

p. 116 Polyommatus agrestis sexes alike in colour & like in general colour to ♀ of P. Ægon in which in Ægon the males are blue & females dark; but the latter often has a shade of blue when held in certain lights.

In P. avion both sexes blue, but the ♀ more suffused with brown.

(The difference in Orange tip in males very conspicuous, the female like smaller cabbages & may possibly be protective

I cannot think so of Brimstone)

In Polyommatus in which the sexes sometime differ greatly & sometime very little I must think ??? it doubtful how far the brown of the female is a protection. In one species both sexes are blue. - Does the dark female live [line excised]

Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)