THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 20 



Q 



occurs in the group of Argynnini. It has the Melitcea specialized 

 character of the open cell on secondaries, but in the type of Melitcea 

 vein 1 11^ does not attain apex of wing, but falls below it. The 

 Melitcehii are more specialized as a group than the Argynnini. This 

 latter seems on the whole the generalized group of the NyinphalidtE 

 proper, and from the ancestors which the modern Fritillaries represent 

 may have sprung the holarctic Argy?mi/ue, and from these the NympJia- 

 lin«. But the latter are, perhaps, not monophyletic ; at least the West 

 South American Etunargareta excites doubts which do not arise from a 

 study of the South American genus Adelpha^ which latter, no doubt, 

 belongs phylogenetically with the Old World Athyma, although the 

 pattern differs. The definition of the Nymphalina^ by the taxonomic 

 character of the coalescence of veins If. and III. of the hind wings up 

 to the point of the almost stationary I. (the " prtecostal spur" of some 

 writers) probably throws together butterflies which have reached this 

 specialization by different routes. 



Morphinct. — My study of Morpho leads me to believe that the 

 group has sprung from the Satyrid stem. It has attained the grade of 

 specialization of Melitcea, the cell on hind wings open. It would seem 

 that these butterflies are specialized Agapetidce, which have assumed the 

 habit of a more lofty flight. As a rule, the "tree" butterflies and moths 

 seem more specialized, and have probably everywhere appeared later 

 upon the scene. 



CONCERNING XANTHQRHOE GLACIALIS, Hulst. 

 Dr. Hulst describes the species and X. loiigula in May Can. Ent., 

 p. 119. The National Museum has a long series of these (225 specimens), 

 very variable, but doubtless representing only a single species. In spite 

 of the label, I am of the opinion that Dr. Hulst's types are not American 

 specimens. Some bear a printed label " Alaska " and " Coll. C. V. 

 Riley"; others have a written label " Behring Island, Alaska"; and 

 others " Behring Island." I think the whole series were collected by Dr. 

 Stejneger at Behring Island, which is one of the Commander Islands off 

 the coast of Kamchatka, and has in general an Asiatic fauna. It is 

 unfortunate that these seductive little " Alaska " labels were used on the 

 specimens. However, the species is evidently American if the type 

 specimens are not, for we have one labelled "Aleutian Islands, Turner, 

 1 88 1," and another that I take to be the same (a ? , and rubbed), from 

 " Nushargak River, Alaska, Aug. 14, 1881, McKay collector." 



Harrison G. Dvar. 



