102 XOVITATES ZOOLOOICAE XXIV. 1917. 



42c. Melitaea didyma deserticola Oberth. 



Melitaea didyma ab. deserticola Oberthur, Etiid. Entom. Fasc. I. p. 25. pi. iii. f. 1 (1876) (Biskra). 



The characteristic differences of d. deserticola from d. maurelanica and 

 d. nisseni are in the large size paler sandy-rufous colour above, with fewer though 

 larger black spots, and in the mcreased size of the black spots below and the 

 great reduction of the yellow bands below on the hindwings. 



The antennae also are very curious in the Algerian didyma ; m d. 7naure~ 

 lanica and d. nisseni the club of the antenna is black above with a small maroon 

 tip ; in interposita the tip is larger, more rufous, and this colour invades the 

 blade of the club ; in d. deserticola and d. harterti the club is entirely rufous, 

 scaled more or less with white or grey scales mostly at the basal portion. 



1 El Outaya, March 1909, W. R. and E. H. 

 23 BLskia, March 1909-1914, W. R. and E. H. 



1 Zaatcha, 40 kilometres south-west of Biskra, March 1909, W. R. and 

 E. H. 



30 Bordj Chegga, 65 kilometres south of Biskra, February 1912, E. H. and 

 C. H. 



The British Museum has 6 specimens of this race: 2 Biskra, March 1902, 

 Mrs. M. de la B. Nicholl ; 4 Bisla-a, Jlay 1885 and March 1886, L. Bleuse and 

 Lieutenant Lahaye, ex Elwes coll. 



i2d. Melitaea didyma harterti Rothsch. 



Melitaea didyma harterti Rothschild, Sovit. Zool. vol. xx. p. 115. No. 13 (1913) (El Hadadia). 



This is the most distinct form of didyma and is unlike any other Melitaea 

 in the pale sandy-yellow ground colour which approximates to that of M. acraeina 

 Stdgr. In fact 2 ?? specinrens which have the bands of black spots on the 

 hmdwings absent and much reduced on the forewings so much resemble this 

 species that I here name them ab. pseudoacraeina ab. nov. ; I also here name 

 a ? specimen, which has the black spots absent on the hindwings and the post- 

 median band of black spots on the forewing strongly increased, ab. nigrofasciata 

 ab. nov. 



4 S. Oued Mya, April— May 1912, E. H. and C. H. 

 57 El Hadadra, May 1912, "e. H. and C. H. 



7 north of El Golea, May 1912, E. H. and C. H. 

 15 Ghardaia, May 1912-1914. E. H. and G. H. 



1 Oued N9a, June 1912, E. H. and C. H. 



1 Oued Segrir, June 1912, E. H. and C. H. 



I Sands of El Arich, June 1912, E. H. and C. H. 



1 65 kilometres east of Ghardaia, June 1912, E. H. and C. H. 



43. Satyrus (Nytha) ellena Oberth. 



Satyrus alcyone var. ellena Oberthiir, Eliid. Entom. Fasc. XIX. p. 19. pi. vii. f. 57 (1894) (B6ne), 



Under this insect in his Etitd. Lipid. Camp. Fasc. III. pp. 260-261, Mr. 

 Oberthiir cites various statements by Fruhstorfer on the subject of the names 

 hermione, alcyone and fagi, and says that he does not propose to accept the name 

 jagi Scopoli because it is pre-Liimaean (Scopoli's Entomologia Carniolica ig 



