VARlATtoK. 105 



and one might almost consider tlie costal ocellus in the latter, the re- 

 maining one of a series of ocelli which had existed, one l^etvveen each 

 nervure. But to return to P. machaoa and leaving the submarginal 

 lunules, I would refer to the development of red in another part of 

 the hind wings, which seems to me a piece of evidence (cpiite inde- 

 pendent of Mr. Weir's theory) that red is rather in course of evolution, 

 than vestigial in the posterior wings of P. inachaon.* 



Most lepidopterists are no doubt aware of the existence of two 

 elongated patches of red on the underside of the hind wings, situated 

 between the inner edge of the submarginal band and the discoidal cell, 

 one between nervures 3 and 4, the other between 4 and 5 ; on the ex- 

 amination of a number of specimens, it will be found that there is very 

 often a small patch Itetween nervures 5 and 6, and sometimes, although 

 rarely, a slight indication of it is to be seen between all the nervures ; 

 taking into consideration a rule almost without exception, that when- 

 ever there are red scales on the upper surface of the wings, there is a 

 greater quantity on the underside, and even in some cases where there 

 is no, or hardly any, discernible red on the upper surface, there is on 

 the underside quite a fair-sized ^J^'^tch or patches ; one might reason- 

 ably expect to find cases of the occurrence of red scales inside the sub- 

 marginal band, corresponding to the before-mentioned red on the 

 underside. Six or seven years ago, I heard an account from one of the 

 Wicken collectors of the breeding or capture — I forget which — of a 

 specimen of P. mnchaon, having " the hind wings considerably flushed 

 with red." I am sorry to say I did not see the specimen, but judging 

 from the sum, it was sold for, viz. £1 (I l)elieve this is correct) it must 

 have been something very much out of the ordinary. Since this, I liave 

 always Iteen on the look-out for specimens with red in the yellow sjjace 

 inside the submarginal liand, with the result that I am this evening 

 able to show seven specimens, all having more or less of the red ; for 

 the loan of one of these, viz., the one having most red, I am indebted to 

 Mr. liloomtield of London, who bred it from a Wicken pupa last season. 

 It has on the underside of the hind wings, the usual amount of red Ijetween 

 nervures 3 — 4 and 4 — 5, a smaller amount between 1 — 2, 2 — 3 and 

 o — 6, and also, but in a much less degree, between 6 — 7, and just two 

 or three specks between nervures 7 — 8 ; on the upperside, it has red 

 scales between nervures 1 — 2, 2 — 3, 3 — 4, and a slight indication be- 

 tween 4 — 5 and 5 — 6 ; the greatest amount is between nervures 1 — 2 ; 

 one s})ecimen is from Mr. Jones's collection ; the remaining five I i)icked 

 from a number of Wicken s])ecimens. There is generally most red 

 between nervures 1 — 2, and it is also well shown between 3 — 4 and 

 4 — 5 ; one would at first expect the gi'eater amount of red to l)e 

 between nervures 3 — 4 and 4 — 5, seeing that it is here that the two 

 normal patches are placed, the comparatively small amount shown on 

 the u])per surface, however, is easily accounted for, as from nervure 3 

 to 5 the submarginal band on the upper surface extends consideral)ly 

 nearer to the discoidal cell than on tlie underside, so that the greater 



*I am delighted with this independent expression of the view I have 

 previously taken of the subject. My contention {Secoyulary Sexual Characters, 

 p. xvii) that the female is usually the variable and not the conservative sex 

 receives direct confirmation from the data given by Mr. Farren's paper and his 

 argument strengthens remarkably my criticism of Darwin's theor}' (I.e., p.p. 

 xvi-xviii). — J. W. Tutt. 



