218 -VOVITATES ZOOLOQICAE XXV. 1018. 



CATALOGUE OF THE PARNASSIINAE IN THE 

 TRING MUSEUM. 



By lord ROTHSCHILD, F.R.S. 



T HAVE already, in my article on the Zerynthiinae, explained my reasons for 

 -^ giving a fresh list of the specimens of this genus contained in the Tring 

 Museum. I should, however, Uke to point out that the reason so many of the 

 species have such a number of local races often in valleys and on mountain 

 chains not very far apart is, that though rapid fliers, they appear not capable 

 of long-sustained flight. So that any extended glacier fields, or even an extent 

 of barren, rocky mountain chain above their normal flight altitude, seems 

 to be a complete barrier to them. Both P. apoUo and P. mnemosyne appear 

 very capricious as to their flight altitude, so that while one local race is confined 

 to higher altitudes, another one is only found in lower altitudes. In the 

 Pyrenees, for example, apollo occurs under the 3,000 ft. level, while mnemosyne 

 occurs only above 3,500—4,000 ft. and reaches even much higher altitudes. 

 In the Orisons, on the other hand, and other parts of the Swiss Alps it is 

 mnemosyne which occurs below 3,000 ft., and apollo from 3,200 ft. upwards, 

 though, of course, in individual localities exceptions to these phenomena are often 

 found. 



HTFEBMNESTBA. 



This genus contains a single species confined to the western palaearctic 

 area of Asia. 



Hypermuestra helios (Nickerl). 



On looking up the original description of helios I find that the Habitat quoted 

 by Nickerl is " Western Kirghisia." This is the district between the Syr Daria 

 and the Amu Daria, and on looking at the plate it is quite clear that Nickerl 

 figured a much bigger insect than the general run of North Persian specimens. 

 Dr. Verity has described a helios intermedia {Rhopal. Palaearch. p. 301) from 

 Syr Daria, and states it is exactly intermediate between helios helios from N. 

 Persia and helios maxima from Bokhara, etc. It is quite evident, therefore, that 

 Dr. Verity has redescribed the typical helios. The North Persian form must 

 therefore stand as persica Neub., though that name unfortunately was given to 

 an aberration. 



Dr. Verity states that halucha Moore is an absolute synonym of maxima 

 Gr.-Orsh., but I have seen too few Baluchistan specimens to be sure ; the type 

 in the British Museum is certainly smaller than maxima from Turkestan. 



Hyperranestra helios persica Neub. 



Hi/permnestra helios ab. persica Neuburgcr, ///. Zeitsckr. Entom. vol. v. p. 330 (1900) (N.E. Persia). 



The name persica was given to the specimens without red spots on the 

 wings, of which there are two specimens in the series from Poin-Shakub. 



