In message .com,
pea_thrower writes
Can somebody please help me to identify a black butterfly I've seen a
couple of times over the past month in my garden. As far as I've been
able to ascertain, it is jet black with no other markings (although it
won't stay still longer enough for me to be certain).

A far as I am aware there are no plain black butterflies native to
Britain, however, there are some which could perhaps appear to be black
- the Ringlet, upper wing surface is dark brown, or the Purple
hairstreak which is dark brown (purple in the sun). You may want to
have a look at
http://www.butterflygarden.co.uk/az_butterflies.htm or the links at
http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/links.htm
--
Robert