36 HAUSTELLATA. — LEPIDOPTERA. 



towards the tips, with some obsolete black and dusky spots on the disc : pos- 

 terior wings variegated with ferruginous;, yellowish^ and greenish, with the 

 pupil of the ocellus very large, the discoidal silvery spot produced to the 

 hinder margin, and the usual marginal spots lengthened inwardly ; the usual 

 fascite are obhterated, but the silvery spot at the base is somewhat apparent. 

 Caterpillar black, with two dorsal spotted orange stripes : it feeds on the viola 

 montana. 



Like the preceding species, this is a very generally distributed 

 insect, and is found throughout the southern parts of Britain ; it 

 also occurs in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh : the first brood 

 appears towards the end of May, and the second towards the ap- 

 proach of autumn. I have no doubt of the varieties o and e be- 

 longing to this species, although others are of a contrary opinion : 

 the latter is the Pa. Thalia of the Entomological Transactions, vol. ii^ 

 p. 333 ; but the Pa. Thalia of the continental writers is referred 

 by Ochsenheimer and Godart to Me. Selene. 



Genus X. — Akgynnis, Fabrkins. 



Palpi ascending, long, divaricating, hairy, three-jointed, basal joint moderate^ 

 curved upwards, second elongate, very broad, terminal very minute, slender^ 

 acicular : antennae with a short, abrupt, compressed club : anterior wings tri- 

 angular, j)Osterior suborbicular ; both somewhat dentate : anterior legs im- 

 perfect ; tarsi with double nails. Larva spiny. Chrysalis subangular : gene- 

 rally with metallic spots. 



The oral organs of the Argynnes greatly resemble those of the 

 two last sections of the Melitsea ; nevertheless the insects of this 

 genus may be readily distinguished from those of the preceding by 

 the superior breadth of the wings, as well as the dissimilar form of 

 the terminal joint of the palpi when denuded. In the Melitaja 

 this joint is of an ovate form, and rather obtuse, whereas in the 

 Argynnes it is conical, slender, and acute ; the proportions of all 

 the joints are very similar, as well as the compressed form of the 

 second : the palpi of Ar. Lathonia closely approximate to those of 

 Me. Euphrosyne. Were the number sufficiently great, it would 

 be advisable to divide the indigenous species into sections ; but as 

 there are four (or five) only, I shall simply observe that Ar. La- 

 thonia diifers from its congeners by the male being destitute of the 

 dilated ncrvures so conspicuous in that sex of the other species, 

 while in its habits it diifers in being double-brooded, and in ap- 

 pearing periodically. 

 Sp. 1. Lathonia. Alii< fulvis,distinctc niyro-viacnlatis ; posticis sitblus maculis 



