114 MELANARGIA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



ones vvliich are more proximal, being contiguous and sometimes even merged togettier, and the i-emaining 

 3 — 4 stand lietbre the distal margin and are but little smaller. Underside of the forewing sombre brown, 

 the cell red-brown, the apex of the wing being more or less dusted with grey. The ocelli as above, but 

 the two standing near the hindmargin are nearly always absent. The hindwing beneath black-brown with 

 whitish grey veins and an obsolete band of the same colour. The ocelli — usually 7 — smaller than above 

 and not bordered witli reddish yellow but white-grey. The abdomen black above and grey beneath. From 



dalmnin. South Russia and Anterior Asia to East Siberia. — The form dalmata God. (37 h), is somewhat larger, the 

 apex and distal margin are somewhat more thinly dusted with white-grey, on the hindwing beneath the 

 veins are dark, not being shaded with white-grey as in ufcy. From Dalmatia and Western Kurdistan. — 



liyirnna. hyrcana N/r/r. (= afra Chrisf.) (37 h) has the apex and distal margin densely dusted with white-grey for a 

 considerable width, all the ocelli being visibly larger on both surfaces and bordered with light yellow rings. 

 In Persia. — The butterflies are on the wing in spring, often already in Ai)ril. They occur on rocky 

 precipices and on slopes co\ered with boulders, and settle on stones. They do not appear to be plentiful 

 in many of their tlight-places. 



E. parmenio. This species — one of the largest of the genus — has been separated from the other 

 Erebias as a distinct genus Erehomorphu Elir. Besides important differences in the structure of the genitaUa 



parmenio. the main reason for this separation were the extremely short antennae and also the highly remarkable flight 

 of this buttertly. The nymotypical parmenio Borh. (35 d) occurs in the mountains of Siberia, especially in 

 the Altai and Amurland, as well as in Mongolia and Manchuria. The ground-colour of the hindwing above 

 is somewhat lighter than in afei; the costal margin and sometimes the apex being dusted with grey. The 

 band of the forewing consists of 4 rounded russet-yellow spots with black white-centred spots. The 2 upper 

 ones are confluent, forming a large black spot which bears 2 white dots. The hindwing has 3 — 4, more 

 rarely 5, russet -yellow spots with black white-centred ocelli. The forewing red-brown beneath, the costal 

 margin, apex, and a portion of the distal margin dusted with silvery grey, the double ocellus narrowly 

 ringed witii yellow. The other ocelli are very small, being often partly or all absent. The underside of 

 the hindwing grey-brown, finely dusted with white-grey, especially towards the base. All the veins are 

 shaded with gi'ey and contrast strongly with the ground-colour. The distally dentate median band is bordered 

 by a band-like silver-grey arched line. The distal margin is edged with a grey line, and proximally to 

 this there is a narrow dentate brown band which is divided by the veins. The submargmal ocelli encircled 

 with pale yellow. The ? differs above but little from the cf; the grey dusting at the ajjex of the forewing 

 extends in many specimens to near the cell, especially on the underside, where the veins are also silvery 



inocellata. gre}'. — In ab. inocellata <Ti-aes. (35 d), which occurs singlj' among name-typical sjiecimens, the ocelli are 

 alpina. either totally absent from both surfaces or there are feeble vestiges of the same on the hindwing. — alpina 

 Elw. is a small and darker form from the higher mountains of the Altai ; the forewing above with less 

 brown and smaller ocelli; the underside, however, is not different from that of the name-typical form. — 

 The buttertlies flutter on dry and stony places slowly and low above the boulders, the forewing being 

 moved in a different plane as the hindwing; Elwes, who saw all forms oi pariiienio alive, did not find this 

 kind of flight in any other butterfly. On the wing in July, settling on grass. The species occurs in large 

 numbers in its tlight-places, whole swarms rising from before the feet of the observer. 



13. Genus: llelauargia Mpig. 



This genus is composed of nearl}' 50 very similar forms. They are buttertlies of medium size, the 

 pattern being black and white, the forewing obtusely triangular and the distal margin of the hindwing 

 slightly undulate or somewhat dentate. The forewing has an apical ocellus, which is sometimes concealed 

 in the black markings; the underside has before the margin mostly a black lunate line and on the hind- 

 wing some submarginal ocelli. Nearly all the species occur with the ground-colour snowy white or slightly 

 yellowish, both these forms flying at the same time and place without the occurrence of transitions. — The 

 larvae are yellowish or brownish or light green; they feed on grass, being concealed in day-time, and 

 hibernate either when half-grown or shortly before pupation. The pupa lies free on the ground without 

 cocoon. — As far as is known, the species of Mekmargiu have but one brood. They are almost without 

 exception common in their flight-places, and are easily caught on account of their rather slow flight. The 

 genus is almost exclusively Palaearctic; apart from one form, which in the extreme South-East of the Region 

 extends across the boundary into the Indian area, all forms are restricted to the Palaearctic Region. The 

 various forms which hitherto have been distinguished from one another come so very close to each other 

 that they represent with certainty but hardly 8 — 12 distinct species. 



M. galathea. In the otherwise black cell of both wing an oval white spot which is not divided by 



a transverse bar. On the hindwing above the ocelli are quite invisible or shine through very faintly from 



the underside. Everywhere plentiful, from Livonia to North Africa, and from Spain to the Caucasus. -- 



galathea. The first-described form, galathea L. (38 &), especially in North and Central Europe. — In the form procida 



procida. jjbst. (= galacaera Esp.) (38 a) the upperside is much deeper black and the white marginal spots are 



