55 



The European species of the ^enus Melanargia. 



By J. Platt-Barbett, F.E.S. Read January 21th, 1916. 



My object in writing this paper is to propose a better classification 

 of this interesting group of butterflies and to suggest that all the 

 various forms spring from three "root- stocks." I have a friend, a 

 poultry breeder, who holds an analogous opinion with regard to 

 poultry, and who argues that all the various breeds can be traced 

 back to three " root-stocks " — the Asiatic, African, and Mediter- 

 ranean. At one time I attempted to reduce the Melananjia to one 

 " root-stock," but could not work it out successfully to my own 

 satisfaction. I think the idea of three, is practicable. 



I acknowledge with thanks the liberal help I have received from 

 brother entomologists, especially from Mr. Rowland-Brown, who 

 introduced me to Oberthiir's valuable work, " Lepidopterologie 

 Comparee," and supplied me with information in addition. I am 

 also grateful to Mr. Sheldon for specimens of siurarovius from 

 Russia, to Mr. Durrant for ready help at the Natural History 

 Museum, and to the following gentlemen for exhibiting valuable 

 specimens of Melanargia : Mr. Curwen, Swiss forms ; Mr. Frohawk, 

 British yellow forms ; Mr. Gibbs, larissa, also Balkan and Asiatic 

 forms; Mr. Turner, Spanish and other forms (with notes); and the 

 Rev. G, Wheeler, specimens of Zucas/— including one wonderful var. 



I prefer the generic name J/e'^a»fl;v//a = " black white" (Meigen, 

 1829) to ^>v/e = " white" (Boisduval, 1832), but am unable to praise 

 Meigen any further. He was an inferior artist and his figures 

 compare unfavourably with those of Hiibner, who flourished 30 

 years previously. He gives us eleven species : one is electra, quite 

 a nondescript, and he completes the number with leucomelas, procida, 

 and (jalena, all vars. of (jalathea. In Hiibner's grand work on 

 "Butterflies," published in 1805, he divides the Melanari/ia into ten 

 species as follows : — (1) galathea, &gs. 183-5. vars. 658-9; laihesis, 

 186-9 ; dotho, 190, 191 ; atrojws, i92, 193 ; amphitrite, 194, 195 ; 

 thetiH, 196-7; psijche, 198, 199; vars. 677, 678, 694-7; larissa, 

 896-899; and hertha, 900-903. To complete the number of species 

 he adds leucomelas, 617-518. 



Hiibner's letterpress is very short, but we can gather some valu- 

 able information from his synonyms. 



dotho =syn. Papilio ar^e Russiag (Esper). 



atropos = ,, „ japijijia (Cyril). 



