226 ARGYNNIS. Bj' Dr. A. Seitz. 



the same colour as the upperside, the hindwing beneath not bearing the markings so characteristic for the other 

 Argynnidi. Palpi clothed with hair-scales, the end-segment prolonged, rather pointed; antennae with the 

 club flattened and pear-shaped. Body delicate and slender. Distal margin of forewing straight or slightly 

 rounded, of hindwing undulate. The genus, which contains hut 3 known forms, isrestricted to China and Tibet, 

 and is found only in the Palaearctic districts of these countries; in South China, which belongs to the 

 Oriental Region, no single form appears to occur. 



macniata. T. maculata Brem.^Gray (71 e) has the size of our Arg. iiiobe, and is uniformly reddish yellow above 



and very regularly spotted, the black dots being particularly numerous in and around the cell. — Widely 

 distributed in China, on the entire Yang-tse-kiang , northward to Pekin (Bremer and Gray). In June and 

 July; does not appear to be common. 



albescens. T. albescens Oherth. (71e). More sparsely spotted above, especially in the basal area of the forewing. 



Recognizable by the disc of the liindwing being white above and below. The antennae less marked with wlute 

 beneath. According to Oberthur only a race of the preceding. — In West China, in June. 



luina. T. nana Leech (Vie). Much smaller than the two previous, the spots much closer together, many 



loucliing each other; the ground-colour duller above and paler beneath than in the other two Timelaea. — 

 Only known from West China: Mupin, Wa-shtin, Omei-shan; apparently only in the mountains. 



14. Genus: Argyiiiiis 1'-, Fritillaiies. 



Head large, in small species broader than the thorax; eyes very large and strongly convex, naked, usually 

 dark green, containing dark red or black parenchyma; antennae rarely above half the length of the costa, with 

 heavy, flat club; palpi inflated, beneath bristly, only the acicular end-segment naked. Legs strong, the forelegs 

 minutely hairy, the mid- and hindtibiae spinose. Wings hard, powerful, entire, rarely the hindwing dentate; 

 cell closed in both wings; the shape of the wings often different in the sexes. The larvae are rather stout, 

 bearing 4 rows of medium-sized spines on the back and one row on each side, and ventrally at the sides minute 

 warts. The anterior spines are often prolonged, resembling antennae. The larvae are usually black or brown, 

 being spotted with red or yellow, and live on Violaceae as a rule. The thorax of the pupa bears a hump, 

 behind which there is sometimes a deep depression, occasionally with metallic projections and warts; the fore 

 part of the pupa is either rounded as in Melitaea, or produced into 2 horns (paphia) as in Vanessa, and 

 sometimes (niphe) the whole pupa is covered with tubercles. The species of Argynnis vary from being moderat- 

 ely small to large, the colour being red-brown with black spots, differing only in some $$ (sagana, diana) to 

 same extent from the normal. It is characteristic that nearly all the forms bear silvery markings in certain 

 places of the underside, which haA^e been likened to dew-drops and small mirrors. These silvery markings 

 are not equally constant in the various species. While they are never absent from some species, tliey are 

 wanting only exceptionally in some forms, commonly in certain other species, and constantly in certain local- 

 ities in other species again. The apex of the forewing beneath is always marked and coloured like the 

 hind%ving, contrasting with the disc in a similar way as in Melitaea. 



Argynnis is a genus rich in species, but quite homogeneous, comprising about 250 forms, which are often 

 very similar to each other. The large number of species, which are difficult to group, appears to almost render 

 a separation into several genera necessary; but there are weighty objections. The separation of single species, 

 such as (Speyeria) idalia, (Semnopsyche) diana, and ( Damora) sagana, does not simplify the classification. If 

 ScuDDER had known the early stages of diana so well as they are now known, he would probably not have 

 attempted to separate the species, notwithstanding the different 9- There would be more justification in 

 separating the forms striped beneath from those bearing silver spots ( Dryas), as they are said to have also an 

 incurved distal margin, though this is not true in all forms. It is also not possible to strictly separate the 

 smaller species as Brenthis from the larger ones, as Elwes does. Therefore we deal with the genus in the 

 usual wide sense and even unite with it ( Acidalia) niphe, which is essentially tropical. The geographical distri- 

 bution is shortly characterized by stating that the genus is essentially Palaearctic wdth the centre of distri- 

 bution in Europe. Though particularly the large forms extend across Northern Asia to Japan, there is no 

 country where, as in Europe, about 50 well distinguished forms are found'in a relatively so small district as 

 Europe proper. Eastern and North America come next, the largest known Argynnis occurring in North America 

 (cyhele, idalia, diana). There occur also a few species in South America and Central Africa, widely separated 

 from the true home of the genus, one essentially Indian species extending to Australia. 



