Genus Melitaea 
This very pretty species is apparently quite common in north¬ 
ern California about Mount Shasta. It is subject to variation, and I 
possess a dozen remarkable aberrations, in one of which the fore 
wings are solid black without spots, and the hind wings marked 
by only one central band of large yellow spots; another repre¬ 
senting the opposite color extreme, in which yellow has almost 
wholly replaced the black and red. The majority of these aberrant 
forms are females. They are very striking. 
(3) Melitaea macglashani, Rivers, Plate XVI, Fig. 3, $ 
(Macglashan’s Checker-spot). 
Butterfly. —Larger than the preceding species, with the red 
spots on the outer margin bigger, the yellow spots generally larger 
and paler. Expanse, 6, 1.85-2.00 inches; $, 2.25-3.00 inches. 
Early Stages. —Unknown. 
This insect is represented in the Edwards collection by a con¬ 
siderable series. They come from Truckee, California. 
(4) Melitaea colon, Edwards, Plate XVI, Fig. 5, $ (Colon). 
Butterfly. —Of the same size and general appearance as M. 
chalcedony with which I believe it to be identical, the only pos¬ 
sible satisfactory mark of distinction which I am able to discover 
on comparing the types with a long series of chalcedon being 
the reduced size of the marginal row of yellow spots on the 
upper side of the primaries, which in one of the types figured in 
the plate are almost obsolete. They appear, however, in other 
specimens labeled “Type.” The learned author of the species 
lays stress, in his original description, upon the shape of the spots 
composing the band of spots second from the margin on the 
under side of the hind wings; but I find that the same points he 
dwells upon as diacritic of this species are apparent in many 
specimens of what undoubtedly are chalcedon. Expanse, 1.75- 
2.50 inches. 
Early Stages. —These have not been recorded. 
The types came from the region of the Columbia River, in 
Washington and Oregon. 
(5) Melitaea anicia, Doubleday and Hewitson, var. beani, 
Skinner, Plate XVIII, Fig. 13, $ (Bean’s Checker-spot). 
Butterfly. — M. anicia is a well-known Californian species, 
smaller than M. chalcedony and with a great deal of red on the 
basal and discal areas of both wings upon the upper side. An 
extremely small and dark form of this species, found on the bleak, 
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