I? 2 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, 



On the Occurrence of Chionobas tarpeia in North America. 



By H. H. LYMAN. 



This species, according to the catalogues of Kirby and Strecker, 

 was described, in 1771, by Peter Simon Pallas, though many 

 authors refer to Esper as the describer in 1777 1783, the dates 

 varying. I do not know whence the types came, but doubtless 

 they were Russian. In Butler's Catalogue of the Satyridae in 

 the British Museum, published in 1868, the only locality given is, 

 curiously, " Arctic America." 



In Edwards' "Synopsis," published in 1872, this species was 

 not given, but it was included in his catalogue of 1877, appar- 

 ently on Butler's authority, though this is not definitely stated. 



Strecker, in his catalogue published in 1878, said, on p. 155, 

 "Chion. tarpeia, an Altaian species, has been by some authors 

 placed with the North American fauna, but without doubt erro- 

 neously; I do not believe it ever has been or ever will be found 

 to occur in this country." 



In Edwards' Revised Catalogue of 1884 it is given doubtfully, 

 and explicitly on the authority of Butler. 



I had long inclined to the belief that a poor specimen of Chio- 

 nobas varuna had probably been mistaken for this species, though 

 I found it difficult to understand how so gross a blunder could 

 have been made by an able Lepidopterist, but in looking over 

 the fine collection of Dr. Henry Skinner in May, 1894, I was 

 much interested at finding an undoubted specimen of tarpeia 

 with a label giving the locality as " Hudson's Bay." 



The specimen came from the Aaron collection, but Dr. Skinner 

 knew nothing of its history. 



Of course the label may be fictitious and unless the history of 

 the specimen can be traced, it would not afford sufficient evidence 

 to settle the question, but the authorities of the British Museum 

 ought to be able to throw some light on it if the specimen or 

 specimens which Mr. Butler had before him when compiling his 

 catalogue are still in existence. 



The diagnosis of this species, given by C. J. Maynard in his 

 "Manual of North American Butterflies," is utterly untrust- 

 worthy, his statement that the ocelli are white pupiled beneath 

 being especially erroneous. 



