1356 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



the specimen, but judging from the figure and description there can be no doubt what 

 it is. The aberration consists principally in an outward extension of the extra-mesial 

 transverse series of yellow spots on all the wings above and beneath, quite up to and 

 partially including the snbmarginal series, which, however, do not lose, upon the under 

 surface of the fore wings, their distinctive color; on the fore wing, the color expands 

 laterally by slow degrees, so as to occupy toward its outer limit the whole of each 

 interspace, separated only by the black veins. On the under side of the fore wing 

 the color is mostly similar to that of the upper surface but toward the inner border 

 becomes bathed In orange. Mr. Grote does not mention, although his figure repre- 

 sents, the interior edging of yellow to the extended extra-mesial orange band of the 

 under surface of the hind wings, just as we find it in normal specimens. In addi- 

 tion to this principal distinction, the yellowish edging of the tip of the cell of the fore 

 wings above is lost (which is a little remarkable, as we should rather have expected to 

 see the yellow markings extend to and embrace this also) as also most of the 

 black and yellow on the upper surface and the black on the under surface of the 

 incipient ocellus at the anal angle of the hind wings and which deprives it almost 

 altogether of its ocellar like character. Of course, too, all the blue speckling of the 

 hind wing is lost, since the place where it occurs is wholly bathed ia the extension of 

 the extra-mesial yellow band. On the under surface of the fore wings, the upper 

 limit of the broad outer belt of yellow is indicated in normal males (always?) by the yel- 

 lowish flecking of the subcostal nervures from the extra-mesial normal band nearly to 

 the outer margin. According to Grote, the lateral series of yellow spots on the abdomen 

 are altogether wanting and the subdorsal rows are represented of the ordinary size and 

 in the usual position. This very peculiar and interesting feature has never before been 

 observed, so far as I am aware, in suflVised individuals, and I see no way of accounting 

 for it. 



An examination of the specimen from Florida, obtained and described by Mead, fig- 

 ured by Edwards, and now owned by Holland, shows that this peculiar insect is only an 

 aberration of polyxenes through extensive suffusion. On the upper side of the fore 

 wings the two rows of yellow spots have simply coalesced, forming longitudinal, fusi- 

 form spots, rounded at one end, cleai'ly separated by nervules; toward the costal 

 margin they include the innermost spots ; the yellow spot at the tip of the cell is 

 larger but does not otherwise differ from the type and the subcostal nervure beyond it 

 is flecked with yellow ; both the interior and exterior borders of the lower spots are 

 tinged slightly with orange; this is especially true of the interior border. On the 

 hind wings, there is a similar coalescense of the outer and inner spots, but sevei'al points 

 may be noted : the outer row of spots is still distinct, being wholly yellow, while the 

 suffused area is almost wholly orange ; the interior border of the inner spots is more 

 powdery and extends considerably further toward the base (especially in the costo- 

 subcostal region) than in the type, all the outer half of the cell being powdered and 

 the yellow extending even further toward the base above it ; the blue powdering of 

 the typical polyxenes is present but is inconspicuous upon the orange ground ; the anal 

 spot is normal, excepting that it is bordered with black only at the outer margin; the 

 upper spot of the outer series is not touched with orange, as usually happens in the 

 norm. Beneath, the fore wings resemble the upper surface ; the hind wings differ from 

 the upper surface of the same pair as one would anticipate ; the two lower lunules of 

 the outer row are yellow, while the others, being normally orange, can scarcely be 

 separately distinguished ; the limitation of the blue scales defines the margin of the 

 inner row, which extends, as above, abnormally toward the base. The nervules are 

 all edged with black, more broadly toward the outer margin of the wing, and where 

 the blue scales come in contact with this black they are distinctly seen to be blue, but 

 overlying the orange they appear very pale, almost wliite. On the body the three 

 rows of spots are normal, excepting that on the terminal segments there is a tendency 

 toward a sufl\ision of the spots on the same segment belonging to the two upper rows . 



In the collection by Mr. Mead I once saw a female of this species in which the yellow 

 markings were greatly reduced, an instance of partial melanism. The inner row of 



