AGRIADES THERSITES. 255 



one J reaches 38mm. All these measurements are from the centre of 

 the thorax to the apex of the forewing x 2. 



The amount of blue scaling on the ? $ seems to be just as variable 

 as in Polj/niiiniatiis icanis. I feel no doubt that everj'' form of blue- 

 scaled 5 , known to occur in P. icams, will be found to exist in A. 

 t/ieisiti's from different localities. The most usual form here is one 

 heavily scaled Avith blue on the basal area of all four wines, and with 

 an external edging of blue spots (almost forming a band) round the 

 orange lunule.s of the hindwings. I have two specimens entirely 

 without blue scaling ; some with taint scaling on the fore- and none 

 on the hindwings ; others thickly scaled on the hindwings to beyond 

 the discoidal, with only very slight traces of blue on the inner margin 

 of the forewings. The most extreme form I have found here, as yet, 

 is broadly scaled with blue to well beyond the discoidal on all wings, 

 but specimens from the Riviera, in the possession of Mr. Temperley, 

 have the blue extending right up to the margin. 



The orange marginal lunules are also very vaiiable. Specimens 

 with a complete series on all wings being rare ; while of the other 

 extreme I have only seen one example, which was quite without them, 

 the marginal row of blue spots on the hindwings looking very con- 

 spicuous in consequence. The most frequent form here is that with 

 the lunules complete on the hindwings, and represented by only one 

 or two spots at the anal angle of the forewings. It would, however, be 

 quite possible to form a series showing every intermediate form 

 between the two extremes. 



In the colouring and markings of the underside, A. thersitea is 

 much more constant than P. icai-tis. Amongst the 5 $ in my 

 collection the only noticeable variation is in the position of the sub- 

 median row of spots, in both wings, which sometimes are quite close 

 to the marginal lunules, and sometimes well in on the wing, almost 

 (in some few cases quite) touchmg the discoidal. The 3' 3 show more 

 variation in the spots themselves. In several cases there is a tendency 

 for the submedian spots of the forewing to lengthen into streaks 

 towards the base of the wing, and in one example spot 3 (from the 

 costa) is lengthened until it touches the discoidal, and spot 2 nearly 

 so, on both forewings. In only one specimen is there any sign of the 

 spots becoming obsolete. It has the forewings normal, but on the 

 hindwings three of the four basal spots are missing, the costal one 

 only remaining; while of the submedian row only three are left, the 

 costal one, and the 3rd and 4th. Some readers may question if this 

 specimen is A. thersites, but the position of the apical orange lunule, 

 in connection with the remaining costal spot of the submedian row 

 hindwing, and of the double spot of the submedian row forewing, can 

 leave no doubt on the matter. 



As regards the time of appearance of the broods of A. thersites and 

 P. icams, the following paragraph is found in Dr. Chapman's paper: — 



" Herr Schreiner notes one fact that does not accord with the, 

 certainly somewhat meagre, information I have as to other areas, he 

 says that alexins does not appear in either the first or second brood, 

 till the corresponding brood of ale.ris has been long on the wing." 

 This observation of Herr Schreiner's certainly does not accord Avith 

 the emergence of the species here, as A. thersites appeared fourteen 



