NEMEOPHILA PLANTAGINIS I ITS ABERRATIONS AUt) VAKIETIES. 180 



(occasionally produced to the costa as an irregular blotch in the 

 female) of the hind-wings ; then there is a similar longitudinal line 

 joining the bases of these costal streaks in both wings ; the black 

 basal streak in both fore- and hind-wings is structurally identical ; a 

 similar irregular black band can be traced on the outer margin of both 

 wings, whilst there is also a black spot towards the anal angle of the 

 hind-wing, which evidently represents the insulated black mark 

 usually found just within the anal angle of the fore-wing. This 

 latter fact also gives us a clue as to the actual position of the anal 

 angle on the outer margin of the hind-wing. Even the blocks formed 

 by the union of these typical black markings show a remarkable 

 parallelism in both wings. 



But the yellow colour normally encroaches more on the black of 

 the hind-wings than does the creamy colour on that of the fore-wings, 

 and whilst the pale markings strike one as giving the pattern to 

 the fore-wings, the dark markings do so to the hind-wings, and 

 this is probably the reason why the parallelism mentioned above 

 has not been described before. 



The principal of these black (pattern) markings on the hind-wings 

 may be described as : — (1) A short oblique costal streak not far from 

 the base. (2) A central longitudinal streak starting from the base, 

 and rarely extending beyond the centre of the wing. (3) A discoidal 

 lunule united with the longitudinal streak. (4) A basal streak 

 running along the inner margin from the base to the anal angle. 

 (5) An outer marginal band. (6) An irregular spot (sometimes an 

 extra small one above it) or blotch near the apex of the wing, rarely 

 extended to tha costa. (7) An insulated spot towards the anal angle. 



Of these. No. 1 is rarely present in the male, but is very constant 

 in female specimens, and is often blocked solidly with the central 

 longitudinal streak. The latter varies much in width, from a fine 

 line reaching to the base of the discoidal lunule, to a solid block, 

 coalescing (as is often the case with the analogous markings on the 

 upper wing) with the costal streak and discoidal lunule into a solid 

 mass, extended frequently at the base (and more rarely thoughout its 

 whole length) into union with the basal streak, and still more rarely 

 with the spot (No. 7 above), and through it with the marginal band. 

 (This indicates the line of development of the aberration matronalis, 

 PI. v., fig. 2). The basal streak varies from a fine linear marking, 

 extending from the base to about two-thirds across the wing in the 

 direction of the anal angle, to a broad band reaching to the anal 

 angle and to the inner margin, uniting at its extremity with the 

 outer marginal band. When the costal streak, central longitudinal 

 streak, basal streak and discoidal lunule become united into one 

 large black blotch, as is often the case with the females, and more 

 rarely with the males, the yellow ground colour is confined to a 

 narrow band between the blotch thus formed and the outer marginal 

 band. The spots, too, are frequently united with the large blotch 

 described above, extending the dark area even more, and restricting 

 the yellow colour to two or three elongated spots parallel with the 

 outer margin. The direction of these yellow spots may be modified 

 by the union of the black spots with the outer marginal band, instead 

 of with the large central blotch ; the yellow markings then fall within, 

 instead of outside, them. 



