54 A CHAPTER ON ZYG^NA MINOS. 



larvae of these had probably never become torpid. I myself 

 once found near Frankfort a just hatched specimen of Z, 

 Filipendulce in the middle of autumn. 



2. Zycjcena Minos. Some species of insects owe their 

 existence to the industry of the dealer. How Dahl misled 

 amateurs is narrated by Treitschke in speaking of the 

 varieties of Zerynthia Polyxena (x., 1, p. 84). Since most 

 collectors content themselves with a pair of such species 

 which they can only obtain by purchase or exchange, and 

 indeed are generally obliged thus to moderate their desires, 

 such dealers as Dahl have an easy game in the fabrication of 

 species ; it would be much more difficult if they had to 

 furnish each species wholesale. Many of the southern 

 ZycjcBuce require to be collected by conscientious observers 

 in sufficient numbers to clear up all our difficulties. 



The species of Zygcena are of that class in which a/ew 

 specimens easily enables us to pronounce a confident opinion. 

 A large number of specimens makes us feel much less con- 

 fident, but is imperatively necessary if we would ascertain 

 the truth. He who has not carefully examined extensive 

 series of specimens of allied species, should only pronounce 

 his decision as prohahle. Formerly I was of opinion that I 

 had found in a specimen, of which the spots were smaller than 

 usual and remote, a species distinct from 3Iinos. I therefore 

 collected above 100 specimens of Minoif, just as they came, 

 and soon recognized that my supposed species was merely a, 

 variety. I was thus enabled to indicate in the " Isis" (1840, 

 p. 137) a series of very perceptibly distinct varieties of this 

 species, most of which occur near Glogau. 



Herr Keferstein goes so far as to unite (Ent. Zeit. ii. p. 117) 

 Zyqcena Pluto with Z. Minos, because it frequently occurs 

 along with it, and has only a broader grey margin to the 

 posterior wings. But Ochsenheimer mentions characters 



