1887.1 153 



•winter months, say fi'oni 3000 feet, are covered with a considerable 

 amount of snow, which affords to the hibernating larvae great pro- 

 tection from their natural enemies. It is, however, quite out of my 

 power to offer any explanation why there is such a preponderance of 

 butterflies, and why the Tortrices and Tineina should be so poorly 

 represented. 



Shrublands, Ellham, Kent : 

 October 20th, 1887. 



NOTES ON SOME VAEIETIES OP MELIT^^ FROM THE ITALIAN 



LAKE DISTRICT. 



BY W. F. DE Y. KANE, M.A., F.E.S. 



Mr. Jones has allowed me to examine two very remarkable aber- 

 rant MeUteece taken by him at Lugano. If they had not occurred 

 together, I should have been inclined to refer one to Aurelia and the 

 other to Atlialia. 



The first one, from the size of such of its fulvous markings as are not obliterated, 

 appears to belong to some of the intermediate forms between Aurelia and Athalia, 

 and is somewhat larger than Swiss specimens of Aurelia. Exp., 14. Fore-wings 

 dark sooty-black, with a single ante-marginal series of six small fulvous spots. 

 Hind- wings unequal in size. Basal half black, with a median and two exterior 

 fulvous bands of blotches. 



On the under-side of one fore-wing, besides normal markings, is a median 

 transverse band of wedge-shaped black blotches, increasing in size from the costa to 

 the inner margin. Under-side of hind-wing strongly coloured and marked. 



The other specimen measures 1'45. Fore-wings similar to the first, but the 

 series of fulvous markings is much broader, being in fact a fusion of the normal 

 marginal and ante-marginal series. 



Hind-wings black, with only a marginal and ante-marginal series of fulvous 

 spots. The under-side of both fore-wings has a median series of wedge-shaped 

 dashes; and the hind-wings are also strongly marked, but the base and margin of 

 one is darkly obscured. 



This latter insect approaches nearly to the description of Selys-Longchamps' 

 var. navarina of M. Athalia, and is of the same class of aberration above and 

 beneath as figs. 3 and 5 in Newman's description of Athalia (Brit. Butterflies). 



And as both specimens appear to be abnormal in either development or color- 

 ation, I think that they are the result probably to privation or peculiar experience 

 in the larval condition, and are stunted forms of M. Athalia. 



Two $ of M. Phabe from North Italy, are of the South European type, without 

 doubt, and have the pale fulvous ground-colour of the wings marked by a very slight 

 black pattern. I have similar forms from Provence and Spain. 



A third example presents a very handsome aberration. 



Bases of all wings black. The rays and ante-marginal black lines on fore-wings 

 broadly black. 



On the hind-wing a broad black ante-marginal band, containing a row of darker 

 spots where the ante-marginal fulvous blotches were obliterated. 



Kingstown, Ireland : 



October, 1887. 



