A FEW* WEEKS* ENTOMOLOUISINU IN Sl'AlK. Hi) 



and more resembling that of some exotic Nymphalids, especially in the 

 colour varying from green to blue. Something of this may be seen 

 by artificial light, if it be bright enough, but sunshine is necessary to 

 fully show it. No doubt this colour is well exhibited by the male 

 when he makes his advances towards the fenuile. The Satyrids vary 

 a good deal in their habits of flight ; S. alri/anr is generally easily taken 

 if it be not frightened or hurried, either on the wing or at rest ; S. aemcle, 

 if the day be only hot enough, is as difficult to capture as any of them, 

 except, perhaps, S. eirce, which rarely lets you approach it easily when 

 it is at rest, and on the wing allows you to think you are sure of it, 

 yet usually eludes the net without apparent difficulty. It is really a 

 most strong and capable flier. S. ihlia is best taken on the wing, it is 

 exceedingly wary when you attempt to stalk it at rest. N. pricuri is 

 precisely the contrary, it Hies straight and strong so that you cannot 

 overtake it, at least, on the ground it freipients, but it never flies very 

 far, but drops on the ground, and stays there, if you are not very rash, 

 till you put the net over it, apparently trusting for escape to its 

 resemblance to the ground about it. When covered, unless allowed 

 to fly up into the net, it very quickly makes its way between the stones 

 and plants from under the net. When it is very hot, it is perhaps a 

 little less easy to approach, but has the curious habit of always settling 

 \n the shade. The aberration nhofioni of the female, is not at all rare, 

 perhaps one out of four or five $ s being of this aberration ; it is very 

 handsome on the wing, and easily distinguished from X. sfiiicle, 5 , 

 which it a good deal resembles. The male is not quite so easy to 

 distinguish from that of 5. briftris when flying. 



The two forms of I'oh/onuiiatiis In/las are very distinct, I did not 

 take enough of the var. niresrcms, nor recognise them on the wing 

 sufficiently to say much about them, so far as I noticed, they occur 

 with the type, at any rate in adjacent localities, but they are probably 

 distinct races. The two forms of P. cori/don taken, the violet-coloured 

 form cori/doniits and the pale var. Iiisjiana, are very distinct, and no inter- 

 mediate specimens were observed. They occurred on the same ground 

 to some extent at Albarracin, but in reality they occupied distinct areas, 

 and the cases of their occurring on the same ground was of the nature of 

 overlapping. The var. hispana occurred on limestone, at Chienca, and on 

 prieuri ground at Albarracin, var. cor/yr/ojr/i/.s did not occur on limestone, 

 it was not seen at Cuenca, was abundant at Tragacete, frequent at Puerto 

 de la Losillo and Bronchales. Poliionniiatm adniptiis and /'. dawon are 

 two closely allied species that occurred together, but, in spite of a few 

 doubts founded on such facts as their constant association, and the 

 identity of the male appendages, I think they are quite distinct species. 

 It is otherwise with P. dolus, a south French form that seemed related 

 to P. danion in precisely the same way that )nr('s<rns is to lii/lax, and 

 Iihpaua to cori/diiin'iis, a paler yet larger and stronger form, with habitiit 

 on a limestone soil. The larger size shows that their paleness has 

 nothing to do with albinism, but probably with the geology of their 

 habitat. So far as curiidoninn and hispaiui are concerned it is diflicuU 

 to say why they arc not entitled to specific rank, there are no inter- 

 mediate forms, no crossing, yet they frequently nieet and mingle where 

 their areas adjoin. I am aware of no evidence to show that either 

 assumes the form of the other, if transferred to its environment, or 

 act in any way other than as a distinct species, quite as itiufti. ]H'rhnps 

 more, than is the case of /'. dnlnx in regard to /'. dauunt. 



