240 ARGYNNIS. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



orange-yellow, and the spots much deeper black, particularly the dots of the submarginal series on the upperside 

 japonica. are very considerably enlarged, recalling nerippe megalotlujmus from the same country. — japonica Men. (70a), 

 from Northern Japan, is still larger, the underside very prominently coloured, with the basal area of the hind- 

 wing strongly contrasting with the distal area, the black spots of the upperside only moderately enlarged, the 

 submarginal ones not confluent in normal specimens. The black spots, however, are in occasional individuals, 

 aspasia. as happens in nearly all the species of Argynnis, enlarged and united into black bands; this is ab. aspasia Garb. 

 — Larva not dissiinilar to that of niobe, reddish grey, with rosy red spines, a yellow-bordered black dorsal 

 line and deep black lateral spots. Until June on Viola palustris and other species of violets, feeding only at 

 night, lying concealed in day-time and curling up when touched. Pupa glossy dark brown with black veins. 

 The butterflies are found on meadows in woods and at road-sides, and are fond of Compositae; in Germany, 

 at the boundary of the area of distriljution, the species is generally very rare, its occurrence in certain advanced 

 localities in Pommerania and Mecklenburg being ascertained by the very occasional capture of but single 

 specimens. A. laodice becomes more common the further east we go, being very abundant at Wladiwostock, 

 on Askold, etc. 



kamala. A. kamala Moore (70c). Above golden yellow, very strongly shaded with greenish, the median branches 



of the forevving incrassate to form ridges. The forewing beneath is pale yellow, with heavy black markings, 

 the apex being green and silvery. The hindwing densely dusted with verdigris, the silver spots forming narrow 

 but very glossy bands, which are only interrupted by the veins. — In the North-Western Himalayas, in 

 Kashmir and North India, not rare. 



diildreni. A. childreni Graij (70b). One of the largest and most beautiful Argynnis; above fiery reddish yellow, 



spotted with black, the very large hindwing dentate and its whole anal area shaded with blue. Beneath the 

 disc of the hindwing is bright fleshy red, the hindwing olive, somewhat brass-colour, traversed by a number 

 sakontala. of silver-bands. Central and West China. — sakontala KoU. (70b) is somewhat smaller, the upperside duller, 

 the dark anal shading of the hindwing more brown than blue and restricted to the immediate neigbourhood 

 of the anal angle; in Kashmir. — This largest of all the fritillaries of the Old World is very common in India, 

 but less abundant in the Palaearctic Region, only a small number of s|)ecimens being found at a time in the 

 localities where the species occurs (Leech). The butterflies love grass-covered places near woods, going up 

 as high as 10.000 ft. 



'»' 



zenobia. A. zenobia Leech (71a). Smaller than the previous species, particularly the hindwing less large. Shape 



and upperside almost exactly as in ^. paphia; fiery reddish yellow, the ^ with black scent-streaks on the two 

 median branches. The underside as in childreni, but the silverbands anastomose in several places. In North 



perieloj)c. and West China and Tibet. — In penelope Stgr. the (J has 3 scent-streaks instead of 2 on the forewing, and the 

 $ is shaded with dull greyish green nearly as in the valesina-^ of paphia. On the Sutchou, in Amurland and 

 North China. — The butterflies are on the wing in June and July, not being rare in the south and west of the 

 distribution-area, but very rare in the northern districts, on the Ussuri (Doerries). 



nislana. A. ruslana Motsch. (70c). Above almost exactly as in paphia, which it also resembles in shape, beneath 



very near to laodice. The (J with strong scent-streaks on the median branches. Eastern China, Corea, Amur- 



lysippe. land and Askold. — lysippe Jans, is the Japanese form, recognizable by its dark colouration. — The species 

 is apparently abundant wherever it occurs, being very common at Chang- Yang. It fhes in August and Sep- 

 te Tiber, and Leech believes that on account of their great similarity it is often confounded with the forms of 

 paphia and laodice, which are likewise abundant in the same locality. 



sagana. A. sagana Dbl. Hew. (71b). <^ above similar to paphia, with 3 heavy scent-streaks on the median 



branches and the submedian vein. Beneath more closely reseml^ling laodice, with very large hindwing, which 



is divided by a white macular band in a yellow basal and a violet-brown distal area. The $ quite aberrant, 



above black and white, being similar in colour and markings to Limenitis. China, especially on the Yang- 



paulina. tse-kiang, occurring from Sze-chuen to Shanghai. — In the Amur form, paulina A^orrfm., which extends rather 



far north, the forewing is somewhat narrower, its costal margin longer and in the ^ the distal margin and 



apex are more rounded; specimens from the Amur, moreover, are not so large as those from Sze-chuen, and the 



light bands of the $ are purer white. Throughout East Siberia and the most northern districts of China. — 



liane. liane Fruhst. (71b) is the Japanese form; the bands of the $ are much purer white, the apical band is broader, 



ilona. the marginal lunules duller, partly obsolete. Much smaller than nymotypical sagana. South Japan. — ilona 



Fruhst., from Tsushima, can hardly be differentiated; in the $ the marginal lunules are likewise dull and 



narrow, but the dark dots of the hindwing are much enlarged. — The butterflies occur from early June until 



September; at first only (J^J ^re found, later almost exclusively ?$. The latter are considered rare by some 



collectors, while I found them much more abundant in certain places than the <J(J. This apparent contradiction 



