NY.MPIIALIXAE: SPEYERIA IDALIA. 



539 



interior of tlio clasp is furnished with forAvard directed bristles; upper process 

 curved inward a little more strongly than the blade, four times as long as the Avidth 

 of the basal half, the apical half rapidly tapering to a bluntly rounded apex one-fifth 

 as l)road as the base of the process, by the excision of the under edge, which is 

 minutely and reversely denticulated, especially toward the tip. 



Described from 3 3 6?. 



Malformation. One specimen examined has two of the joints of the club completely 

 amalgamated on the under side, but not elsewhere, the tAvo combined joints being, at 

 their narroAvest, no longer than a normal joint, and, at their broadest, are each equal 

 to a normal joint. 



Aberrations ; S. i. ashtaroth (Argynnis asturte Fish., Proc. acad. nat. sc. Philad., 

 1858, 179-80, pi. 2; A. ashtaroth Id., ibid., 1859, 352). Three specimens of a most 

 remai'kable suffused variety of this species have been recorded. Tavo of them Avere 

 taken in New Jersey, and described and figured by Fisher; a third, taken at Cohasset, 

 Mass., is figured and briefly described by Maynard (Butt. N. E., 22, pi. 4, fig. 25 b. 25 

 c.) ; a fourth (Mus. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., No. 1226) Avas captured on Cape Cod by Mr. 

 W. C. Fish. 



In this last specimen nearly the Avhole upper surface is dark, the orange markings 

 being confined, on the fore Avings, to the f olloAving : the basal half of the cell inter- 

 rupted by the innermost black bar, broader than usual, the centre of the band border- 

 ing tiie cell exteriorly; a poAvdery space just beyond this, in the subcosto-median 

 interspace; a similar powdery space at the base of the lower median intei'space, 

 extending to a little beyond the second divarication of the median nervure ; the basal 

 three-fifths of the medio-submedian interspace and the interspaces below partly 

 poAvdered Avith dusky scales on the outer half ; the veins of the median and submedian 

 uerA'ures, excepting on the apical fourth of the Aving, similarly powdered ; and a few 

 powder}' scales scattered about the middle of the outer half of the wing; on the hind 

 Avings the orange markings are much as usual, but are restricted Avithin a slightly nar- 

 roAver area; as to thcAvhitish markings, the spots at the diA-aricatiou of the subcostal 

 nervure are present as usual, and form part of an arcuate series, the loAver portion of 

 Avhich seems to take the place of the normal submarginal roAV (which is entirely 

 wanting) in the interspaces, at fully an interspace's Avidth from the border; on the hind 

 wings a similar series of indistinct, sometimes obsolete spots, occupies the middle 

 ground between the tAvo normal rows, which are altogether absent; fringe as usual. 



Beneath, on the fore icings, the vivacious colors are again more limited ; all the 

 normal black markings of the cell are present, although so changed above, but the 

 dark markings of the middle of the Aving are connected, suffused and spread to a great 

 degree ; in the submarginal region, nearly the Avhole space from the cell to the silvery 

 spots is suffused Avith black ; beloAV that the black is sharply defined toward the base 

 of the Aviug by the interior border of the inner black spots, and exteriorly has a 

 blurred limitation, parallel to the outer border at the middle of the apical median 

 nervules ; the outer bordering is nearly or quite an interspace in width, and is fol- 

 loAved by broad, long, silvery dashes, angulated externally, broadly bordered Avith 

 blackish, the loAver ones becoming altered to large, roundish spots, bordered Avith 

 black, the interior border extending far inwards, very nearly to the median spots. On 

 the hind icings the silvery spots are slightly tinged Avith yelloAvish, and the olivaceous 

 become changed to a brilliant snuft' color ; the position and character of the sih'ery 

 spots are greatly changed ; that at the base of the costal border is broadened ; each of 



