232 ARGYNNIS. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



improba. of the costa being conspicuous. North Europe and North Asia as tar as Dauria and Amurlajid. — improba 

 Btlr., one of the Lepidoptera which go farthest north, from NovaSemblia, is smaller and above darker; on the 

 hindwdng beneath the median band is somewhat less bright yellow and the rhomb before the middle of the 



alpestris. costa is vivid bluish white. — alpestris Elw. {68e) has the forewing pale yellow, in part almost whitish, and the 

 hindwing beneath uniformly cinnamon, only the costal rjionib and a light tooth above the apex of the cell being 

 annae. conspicuous. From the highest parts of the Altai. — annae Suschkin, from eastern Tarbagatai, is rather 

 large, with a very dark upperside. The black markings of the forewing are broad and diffuse, all the veins 

 beinc broadly bordered with black. Hindwing black from the base beyond the cell, the liglit median band 

 tapio. vestigial, the marginal area pale yellowish red. — In the (occidental) ab. tapio Sahib, the basal area of both 

 wings is coal-black above, and the underside is much variegated on account of the whole apical third of the 

 forewing and the basal and median bands of the hindwing being pale whitish yellow and contrasting with 

 ahti. the reddish and brownish yellow ground. Finland, ab. ahti Sahib, has only the basal half of the hindwing 

 above black; the basal half of the hindwing beneath is entirely whitish yellow and contrasts vividly with the 

 red-brown outer half. From Finland. — Egg wax-yellow, conical, flattened above. Larva greyish brown, 

 pale-spotted at the sides, with light brown spines. Feeds on Rubus in captivity. In July in Sphagnum- 

 swamps, mostly not plentiful. 



dia. A. dia L. (68f) is the smallest Argynnis. Above usually more extended black than the other species; 



the basal area of the hindwing as a rule quite dark, the marginal area with a row of heavy black dots. The 

 hindwing beneath variegated with purple and bearing silvery spots at the margin, in the median band and at the 

 base. Throughout Central, North and East Europe, also in Anterior Asia eastwards to Mongolia. Specimen 

 vittata. with a broad confluent median band are ab. vittata Spul. (= mediofasciata Schiiltz). In ab. hudaki Aign., 

 hudaki. especially plentiful among the 2. brood, only the narrow median band of the hindwing is reddish yellow, the 

 alpina. margin as well as the base being broadly black. — alpina £^11'. (68f) is the form from eastern Central Asia, 

 described from the Altai; the ground-colour is duller, more leather-colour than reddish yellow. — Larva paler 

 or darker grey, with a pale-edged blackish dorsal line and a reddish brown side-line; subdorsally there are 

 small light spots in a blackish patch; the spines pale yellow with dark yellow base; in Jime and from Sejitember 

 till April on Violaceae and Rubus, said to feed also on Prunella vulgaris. Pupa brown; on the back with rows 

 of small pointed tubercles. The butterfly in April and May and again from August onward in open places 

 and clearings of woods, flying low and frequently visiting flowers. One finds the sleeping butterfly coinmonly 

 hanging on flowering heather at night, the underside being admirably adapted to its small flowers. The species 

 does not appear to be rare wherever it occurs, nor ever to be found in such large numbers, as for instance 

 the following species. 



amathusia. A. amathusia Esp. (= diana Hbn., titania Esp., dia major Esp.) (68e). Above similar to large specimens 



of .4. euphrasy ne. The hindwing beneath very characteristic, being strongly variegated with purple, its distal 



band deeply dentate on both sides and bearing purple-brown partly pale-centred dots. In the nymotypical 



form the forewing beneath also shews at the distal margin pointed teeth which project far on to the disc. In 



nigrata. ab. nigrata Schultz the whole proximal area of the wings from the base far on to the disc is black, in ab. radii- 



radiifera. ig^^ Schultz the black markings are united to rays and in ab. nigrofasciata Favre to a band. Specimens with 



nigra- ^^^ wings abnormally lileached by atmospherical influences have also been observed (ab. blaridina Fruhst.). 



bivina. ^^i the Alps. — bivina Fruhst. ist tlie eastern European form; smaller, paler, with somewhat thijiner lilark 



markings; darker beneath, the median band of the hindwing more uniformly yellow, not being variegated with 



sibirica. red; from Saratow. — In sibirica Stgr. (68f) the band occupying the distal area much less deeply and more 



altaica. evenly indented on both sides; from the mountains of South-West Siberia, the Kentei, a. o. — altaica farm. 



nav. (68f) has the black markings of the forewing beneath so much reduced that not even the marginal arcs 



and spots are all developed. The rhomboidal costal spot of the median band of the hindwing beneath is much 



broader, not so elongate as in nymotypical amathusia, and the median band itself less interrupted; from the 



Altai. — The larva greyish brown, with a black head; a dorsal and a lateral stripe are composed of black 



elongate spots and dots, the spines dark yellow, the prothoracic ones being the longest and palest. On Violaceae 



and Polygonum bistorta, from August until May. Pupa brownish, anteriorly marked with blackish, posteriorly 



bearing small black tubercles. The butterflies in July and August, not rare in most localities, occurring 



everywhere on alpine pastures at high altitudes, sometimes in large numbers, and here usually flying in company 



of A. euphrosyne, from which amathusia is hardly distinguishable on the wing. It can be separated from the 



latter by the black markings being somewhat more regular than in euphrosyne. The ^^ have a rather fast 



flight, the ?$ being considerably more clumsy. 



gong. A. gongOberth. (68d). This splendid butterfly is above at once recognized by the intensely black markings 



on a fiery yellowish red ground. Base and hindmargin of forewing and the basal two-thirds of the hindwing 

 are thickly dusted with black, the distal margin and the fringes being chequered. The hindwing beneath is 



