ABERRATIONS OF BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 211 



still more unfortunate, for, starting on the morning of the 15th before 

 7 a.m. in brilliant sun, the valley was enveloped in clouds and rain 

 before the limit of the woods was reached, and the upper part of the 

 valley to the summit of the Stelvio was tramped under the most 

 depressing conditions. Suffice it to say that, on that day, at the very 

 summit of the Stelvio, the sun broke through sufficiently for a few 

 minutes to tempt us on the glaciers, and that we found on the 

 surface of the ice within 20 yards, three specimens (two J s and one 

 $ ) of Pieris bramcae, one Fi/rauieis atalaitta, and a whole army of 

 Diptera and Coleoptera quite dead and numbed, no doubt caught when 

 flying by a cloud that obscured the sun, forcing them to the earth, 

 and falling on the snow instead, met with this tragic fate. 



Aberrations of British Butterflies. 



By T. REUSS. 



On May 28th last, in a grassy hollow near Ware, I captured a 

 blue ? aberration of Pohjoiiunatus icariis, L., which I describe as 

 follows : — 



Upjierside : Colour light blue, whitish along the costa. The black marginal 

 lunules of the fore wings are marked off against the black margin, with bluish-white 

 instead of with orange, and this leaves a margin scarcely broader than in ^ 

 Cyaniris semiargns. The hindwings remind one somewhat of ? (^elostrhta argiolus 

 in the marginal markings, only one of the black (anal) lunules being marked with 

 orange, though a magnifying glass reveals home orange scales also in the other 

 lunules. Underside: Lighter than \isual in ? Polyonimatuis icarns, and approach- 

 ing in ground colour the male butterfly. Tlie orange and black markings are 

 very bright. 



In the same place on June 13th, a brilliant sky-blue Lycaenid flew 

 up at my feet, and I lost no time in netting the insect, Avhich looked 

 like Af/ricules bdlargus in flight. However, A. bellariiiis does not occur 

 in the place, and my capture, I think, is an aberration of S- /'. icani.<!, 

 recognisable by the pure white outer marginal fringe, as in normal P. 

 ican(s, but otherwise approaching in the upperside facies A. bellaniits. 

 It exhibits the brilliant blue so characteristic of bellar<im, and also 

 the fine pure black margin with a complete chain of well-defined, 

 jet-black spots on the hindwings as in A. bellan/Kv ab. jmncta : the 

 whitish nervures become black on the margin. The underside is that 

 of normal <y 1'. icarus. 



The specimen must not be confounded with the northern variety 

 figured in South's Biitterjiies of the British Isles, which has a few 

 dark spots on the margin of the hindwings; it is totally different. 



Vanessa urticae ab. luna, n. ab. — On July 26th, I bred an aberra- 

 tion of V. urticae from wild Hertfordshire larvte, which showed the 

 following characteristics : — 



Upperside foreiviiigs : The black marginal band is without blue limules at the 

 apex. There are only three small blue lunules in the median part, and there is a 

 large yellowish spot in the inner angle. The yellow spot between the second and 

 third costal blotches is narrow and crossed with black. Upperside hindicings : 

 Again, as in the forewings, the four (in the right hindwing three) blue lunules of 

 the costal and median part are either very indistinct or entirely rei:)laced b)' the 

 black of the marginal band. The first two lunules of the four in the anal wingpart 

 coalesce and form a large conspicuous blue crescent, the small lunules in the anal 

 tips are normally developed. The dark orange belt of colour is clouded with black 



