d-. 



^ 



VOL. XXII. LONDON, FEBRUARY, 1890. No. 2. 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF MELIT.^:A FROM 



SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. 



by w. h. edwards, coalburgh, w. va. 



Melit^a Augusta. 



Male. — Expands from 1.6 to 1.75 inch; belongs to Chalcedoii, group, 

 but is as conspicuously red as the species Chalcedon is black ; upper side 

 black, the surface nearly covered with light red and pale yellow spots, 

 disposed as in the group ; the basal areas dusted with yellow scales, which, 

 on primaries, extend along both margins ; costa of same wing edged red ; 

 both hind margins bordered by small red spots, varying in shape, some- 

 times narrow and as of a broken stripe, sometimes more or less rounded 

 or ovate ; the spots of second row are small, lunular, largest on second- 

 aries, edged with red, the interior being yellow, or they are nearly all red 

 with a small yellow patch in middle ; sometimes this yellow is thinly 

 washed red ; the third row on primaries is either wholly yellow, or yellow 

 with red edges, particularly on the outer side ; on secondaries wholly red, 

 and often very deep, so as to make a conspicuous broad band j the fourth 

 row on primaries is red, sometimes with the spots next the two margins 

 either yellow or in pJl-t yellow ; around the end of cell yellow spots four or 

 five in number ; in the cell spots of red and yellow alternately, four 

 in all, the yellow one at base more or less stained red ; two yellow 

 spots below cell with black ground between, and nearer base a small 

 duplex red one ; the fourth row on secondaries is yellow, either of small 

 spots or pretty large ones, and the three or four from costal margin are 

 red on their outer sides ; a red stripe outside the cell from the end to 

 costal margin ; two small yellow spots inside cell, with a red one 

 between them and a yellow spot below ; fringes yellow, black at the tips 

 of the nervules. Some examples have scarcely any yellow, the yellow 

 having been replaced by red, or tinted red. 



Under side of primaries red, the yellow spots repeated, enlarged, and 



