232 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



tiatecl in habitat, occupying their own grounds, which may be, and 

 often are, comparatively near to each other ; but, of the differentiation 

 of the life-cycle and life-habits, we at present know absolutely nothing. 



Of the other question raised we have much more information. We 

 noted {antea p. 80) that Baron Schlereth had tested the genitalia of poly- 

 sperchon, coretas (alcetas), snid an/iades, and found them "practically 

 identical." This matter, being easily tested on the dried bodies of the 

 specimens in our collections, proves to be not quite as satisfactory as 

 the Baron's conclusions suggest, and Bethune-Baker, writing to us on 

 March 15th, 1908 (before the publication of our notes, but with the 

 proof before him), says: — *' E. argiades and K. alcetas (coretas) are, I 

 believe, on the whole, distinct. I do not see why they should not 

 interbreed, so far as the genitalia are concerned, though the genitalia 

 differ somewhat. In alcetas the hooks of the clasp at the lower 

 extremity are very decidedly longer than in argiades, the upper club- 

 shaped extremity is stouter in alcetas, whilst the hooks of the tegumen, 

 in both species, are short dagger-like processes, but are decidedly more 

 slender in alcetas. The type in both is quite similar, the development 

 in alcetas is progressive in the clasp, and perhaps I might say retro- 

 grade, or at least reduced, in the tegumen." Dr. Chapman has also 

 given the matter his attention, and notes {Trans. Ent. Sw. Land., 1908, 

 p. 371): — "The facts concerning the ancillary appendages are, without 

 going into descriptive details, that the two forms have different append- 

 ages, that the differences are very shght, but very distinct and very con- 

 stant, so slight that one can quite understand their being overlooked . . . 

 These slight differences affect several distinct parts of the structures. 

 The clasps in alcetas are wider and heavier basally, the outer angle of 

 the base being full, and receding somewhat, and more firmly attached 

 to the basal ring. In argiades this attachment is less, and the angle 

 looks much more rounded off' than in alcetas. The long spine of the 

 clasp is, in alcetas, long, slender, and straight, as compared with the 

 shorter, thicker, and more curved form in argiades. The spiculation 

 of its extremity affects a rather greater length than in argiades. This 

 form of the spine makes what we may call the shoulder more sloping 

 in alcetas, more square and angular in argiades. The soft hair- 

 clothed division of the clasp is more slender in argiades, and carries 

 only two hairs at most, lower than a point approximately level with 

 the division of the clasp into the two branches ; below this, where the 

 two clasps oppose each other, is a considerable glabrous surface ; this 

 area, glabrous in argiades, carries a considerable number of hairs in 

 alcetas. The hooks or parameres of the dorsal piece (tegumenj are 

 larger and more slender in alcetas, the terminal portion, though longer, 

 is not so sharp as in argiades, and the latter has a large rounded flap 

 at the base of this terminal portion that does not exist in alcetas. 

 The aedoeagus is more robust in alcetas, more slender in argiades." 



These facts go far towards proving the specific distinctness of 

 alcetas. We hope soon to get from our German and Hungarian con- 

 freres — Messrs. Gillmer and Aigner-Abafi — a differential summary of 

 the facts relating to the life-habits, habitats, etc., of these insects in 

 Germany and Hungary respectively. These facts are certainly most 

 important. 



Having to treat Everes argiades as a British species, its life-history 

 had to be prepared for our work A Natural History of British Lepi- 



