Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Colours of British Butterflies

Abstract

MOST of the protectively coloured British butterflies pair either on the ground as the “Blues,” or on low herbage as the majority, or on the leaves of trees, as some of the “Hair-streaks,” and with closed wings. The wings of both sexes are usually opened as widely as possible immediately before copulation.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

LEY, W. Colours of British Butterflies. Nature 23, 458 (1881). https://doi.org/10.1038/023458e0

Download citation

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/023458e0

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing