SEASONAL POLYMORPHISM. 181 



Stichel, in the Mainarde Mts., are the only ones I know of larger than 

 the average size of the species, and which are not surpassed by races of 

 other zones of Europe. A remarkably small list as compared to the 

 nuiiierous gigantic races of the Iberic and of the Balkanic zones ! 



As regards species, the Italic zone in general, and the Peninsular 

 subzone in particular, do not afford an}' peculiar characteristics, except 

 one species, ilZ. cn;ie, Sulz., proper to the latter, and M. phentaa, B., 

 proper to Sicily, if it be specifically distinct from M. si/IHks, Hbst. No 

 doubt this is partly due to the very central position of Italy in southern 

 Europe, which favours the spreading of species to and froni it, but, 

 on the other hand, there must also exist some cause which is decidedly 

 unfavourable to certain species, because there are a few which are 

 found both east and west of it, and which are absent from our Italic 

 zone ; these are : Z. lysimon, H. adiiu'tic^, P. sep/iynis, L. (hiponcheli, the 

 genus Zet/ris, P. alexanor (except an isolated colony at the far end of 

 Calabria, and those individuals which pass the frontier in the Mari- 

 time Alps), E. melas,H. hippolyte, H. arethiisa. Most of the species of 

 Peninsular Italy are those which are distributed over the greater part 

 of Europe and, in fact, of the Palaearctic region, but there are a few 

 which spread locally as far south as the plains and hills of the Po 

 Basin and yet do not enter the Peninsular zone: C. ocdipnx, A. Ityper- 

 anthidi, P. acJihie, N. liicilla, and B. i-:ele)ie; L. alco)i and A', aet/dops 

 only just overrun its boundary. The following, found in the peninsula, 

 are, instead, proper to the Mediterranean region : /'7. boetica, Kbr., li. 

 malvdides, (J. lefebvvei and G. nostroilaiims, A. escheri, (t. cleapatra, ['. 

 manni, P. ale.raiior, H. lupituis, P. ida, C. ja.nns. A few are distributed 

 towards the west of Italy : H . arinoricanits, A. hispana, A. eiiphaioides, 

 C. dunis, PI. neo) ida$. H. artiinriccniiis has a very extensive distribution 

 outside Italy, as well as within it ; the four others give one the im- 

 pression of having spread to Italy from the west. P. cri/ane, A. 

 daiiiune, T. hyperiimestra, P. alexanor, are, instead, widespread towards 

 the east, and seem to have reached Italy from that direction. It is 

 said that, before 1808, P>aimis chryfu'ppm, L., used to exist at Naples, 

 but that it was extinguished there by that exceptionally cold winter. 



The Calabrian subzone, from the point of view of species, is notable 

 by the presence of /'. alexanor, as already mentioned, and of ^. danione 

 — at its furthest end. The latter is otherwise only found, in Italy, on the 

 opposite side of the straits of Messina, on the Etna. What is also a 

 striking characteristic is the total absence of the genus Erebia, which 

 ends in the Abruzzi, although there are, here, several species, and the 

 Calabrian mountains seem well suited to some of them, although 

 they have been reached, as have those of Sicily, by both the l-'arnassius 

 of Peninsular Italy. The absence of Ayriades, except theri>ites, both in' 

 Calabria and in Sicily, is noteworthy too, and the existence of t/ietis in 

 Africa makes it all the more surprising. 



The African-Italian subzone, as may well be called the island of 

 Sicily, affords a very distinct entomological fauna, both as regards 

 species and races. In connection with species the disappearance of a 

 considerable number of those found in the Peninsula must first be 

 noted, and amongst these of all FWebia and Ayriadcx, as in 

 Calabria. This impoverishment is partly compensated by the existence 

 of species which Sicily has in common with the African zone, but the 

 Grypocera and Rhopalocera only afford three ; Melitaea aetherie, I 'rhicola 



