i68 LEPIDOPTERA. 



ia Ireland. Abroad it is found throughout the Continent of 

 Europe, Asia Minor, and Central Asia, but is usually regarded 

 as a variety of P. pnrpuralifi. This view may possibly be 

 correct, but a long and intimate acquaintance with both forms 

 has induced in my own mind a belief in their distinctness. 

 Possibly the discovery and comparison of larvae may some 

 day settle the point. 



3. P. punicealis, Scliiff. ; aurata, Stoud. Cat. — Expanse 

 I to I inch (l-j-ly mm.). Fore wings brownish purple with 

 a large orange spot before the apex ; hind wings purple- 

 black, with a yellow band only. 



Antennte of the male threadlike, black-brown ; palpi 

 rather thick, prominent, yellow-brown ; head and thorax 

 purple-brown, with superlicial long j-ellow scales ; abdomen 

 brown-black, each segment edged with white ; anal tuft dull 

 black. Fore wings trigonate, costa a little arched beyond the 

 middle ; apex angulated ; hind margin slightly rounded ; 

 colour rich dark puqile or purple-brown dusted with bronzy 

 black ; first line represented by two orange dots ; second by 

 a cluster of faint similar dots above the dorsal margin, and 

 an orange spot nearer the costa, on which also is a similar 

 triangular dot; discal spot a minute j^ellow dot; cilia bronzy 

 black-brown, tipped with white. Hind wings rather 

 elongated, rounded behind ; deep smoky black with a 

 purplish tinge : in the middle is a broad transverse orange- 

 yellow band ; no other markings ; cilia smoky black, tipped 

 with white. Female similar. 



Underside of the fore wings, from the base to the second 

 line, yellow with black nervures and two black discal spots ; 

 second line black ; area beyond it glossy purple, edged with 

 black ; dorsal area, to the middle of the wing, silvery white. 

 Hind wings yellow, with the costal margin narrowly, and the 

 hind margin broadly purple ; a black central spot is followed 

 by an irregular black transverse stripe. Legs pale yellow, 

 more purple-browu in front. 



