PAPILIO. 



Prgan of tl^e |few Jork f ntomological piub. 



Vol. 1.] June, 1881. [No. 6. 



ON PIERIS BRYONI/E ochsenheimer, AND ITS DE- 

 RIVATIVE FORMS IN EUROPE AND AMERICA. 



By W. H. Edwards. 



The species, of which Bryonice is one of the forms, is known 

 as Napi, Linn, and is seasonally polymorphic, having in Europe 

 three manifestations, Bryonice, Napi and NapcscB. The last of 

 these was until recently regarded as a distinct species, or possible 

 species. Westwood, in 1848, is uncertain of the position of 

 NapcecB Esper, but thinks it is probably a variety of Napi, and 

 remarks that " neither caterpillar nor chrysalis have been 

 observed, nor have any circumstances connected with the time 

 or place of its appearance been given,'' and quotes Stephens as 

 saying: "I think with Godart that it may only be a very large 

 variety of Napi, but as it appears to have characters sufficient to 

 constitute a distinct species, the determination of this point must 

 be left for future investigation." Brit. But., Humphreys-West 

 wood, iV«//. Boisduval, however. Spec. Gen. I, 518, 1836, had 

 given the species as : Napi\J\\\n.\ " common throughout Europe 

 and Siberia during summer." 



Var. A. NapcecB, " Common in the autumn." 



Var. B. Bryonies, "Alps" &c. 



Dr. Aug. Weismann, in his Studien zurDescendenz Theorie, 

 part I, Leipzig, 1875, gives excellent colored figures of these 

 three forms in both sexes, and the plate is repeated in the Eng- 

 lish translation, " Studies in the Theory of Descent," London, 

 1880. In the text, Lond. ed., page 39, Dr. Weismann says of 

 Bryonice: " This is, to a certain extent, the potential winter form 

 oi Napi. The male exactly resembles the ordinary winter form 

 (/. e., Napi, Esper) in the most minute detail, but the female is 

 distinguished from Napi by a sprinkling of grayish-brown scales 



