270 ZEPHYRUS. By Dr. A. Skitz. 



being distributed in the Himalaj'as and occurring as a rarity even as far east as Sikkini. It is found in 

 woods, where the d'd' fly up and down the river-beds. They sometimes settle in the middle of a brook on 

 wet stones (Lang), but rest usually on oak-bushes. 



Z. taxila. The forms generally united under this name are so different that it is hardly possible 

 to believe that thej- belong to one species only. But the elucidation of this point and , if necessary, the 

 separation into several species maj' be left to a future monograph . and therefore we merely enumerate 

 taxila. shortl}' the forms hitherto described. The nymotypical taxila Brcm. (73g) is a rather small and not very 

 brilliantly coloured insect (considered by OeEETHiJE to l)e even nearly related to quercus), with very narrow 

 dark margin to the forewing above and almost grey-brown underside. The golden green of the upperside 

 of the cf is somewhat darker on account of an intermixture of dark scales (Staitdinger); Amurland. In 

 aurorina. al). aurorina Obcrth. those places at the cell on the upperside which are somewhat lighter in colour in the 

 nymotypical form than the rest of the forewing are bright saffron-yellow, as in (piercus ab. belhis; from 

 ultra marina. Askold. — ultramarina i'lr.s., from Corea, has more bluish golden gloss above. — japonica Mmr. is the 

 japonica. largest form and has tiie strongest golden gloss of all; Japan. In ab. fasciata Jans, the hindmargin of the 

 fascia a. fyj-g^yj^^g above is coppery. — regina Btlr. has a light cobalt-blue sheen ; from Toshima and Iburi. — The 

 larva, which, according to Graesek, is still (or already) found iu July, feeds on Alnus incana. the butterfly 

 also flying about bushes of this siu-ub. According to Pryer the butterflj- is very pugnacious. A symmet- 

 rically divided gynandromorphous specimen obtained in Amurland proves that the golden green cfcT and 

 the dark and dull coloured ^ belong together. 



hrillnntina. Z. brillatitina Stgr. (= smaragdina Leech) (73 g). At once recognized by the extremely strong 



golden green gloss of the upperside, which is only present to the same degree in smaragdina, whose upper- 

 side is identical with that of briUant'ma. The ])lack border to the upperside is considerably broader than in 

 the preceding forms. Tliis species differs from smaragdinu in the underside being much darker, so that the 

 markings are less prominent. The ?? have, as in taxila and the other golden green species, sometimes 

 pale yellow spots on the forewing or some metalHc scaling similar to that of the cfcf . — Amur and Ussuri, 

 Vladivostock, A.skold and Corea. Larva coppery brown, witli a dark dorsal line and on each segment a 

 pale oblique spot, the joints between the segments also Ijeing pale ; on oak. 



smarai^dina. Z. Smaragdina Brem. As said above, hardly different from brillantina on the upperside, at least no 



relialile differences have ever been mentioned. Therefore a figure of the upper surface would have been 

 the same as that of brillantiita, whose golden gloss does not nearly come up to that of the actual specimens. 

 But the pale, more dust-grey, underside distinguishes it from the preceding species, as also does a transverse 

 line on the hindwing which is placed far proximaliy from the usual band. However, the main difference 

 hes in the larva , which is yellow instead of l)rown , with distinctly contrasting black stigma-dots on seg- 

 ments 1 and 4 to 11; on cherry, according to Graesee also on Quercus mongolica, very plentiful in 

 certain years, but a large proportion (90 "/o) infested by Tachina. The butterflies are consequently much 

 rarer than the caterpillars; they fly in July and August and settle on twigs of shrubs at road-sides. — With 

 certainty only known from Amurland and North China; the records from other countries are doubtful, as 

 the insect may possibly have been confounded with other green species. 



coruscans. Z. coruscans Leech (73 h). Larger than most other golden green Zephyr us; 6" with a very strong 



golden gloss, but with broad black margin, which is especially wide at the apex of the forewing. The tail 

 very long, the tooth above it larger and more prominent than in other Zepliijrus. The ? above always with 

 a distal patch on the forewing consisting of 3 orange-yellow spots; its underside as in the cf, the white 

 lines being very distinct and the black anal spots of the hindwing shaded with blue. West China, in July 

 and August. — Jankowski gave me in China two d'd' which appear to lead over to sinuragdina. Above 

 almost exactly as in n3'motypical coruscans, but the border somewhat narrower, the white line of the under- 

 side thinner, there being also a small and hardly visible discocellular hook; on the whole all the characteristics 

 of coruscans present but less pronounced. Jankowski did not remember the exact localit\, but stated that 

 they were without doubt obtained between Chang -Yang and Hankow, from which district nymotypical 

 coruscans is not known. If this form is not a new species, it must be regarded as the representative of 

 jankowskii. coruscans on the middle Yang-tse-kiang. I name it jankowskii form. nor. (73 g) after its discoverer. It also 

 forms a transition towards the next species. 



scintillans. Z. scititillans Leech (73 h). This species is easily distinguished by its paler underside, lesser size 



and narrower black border to the upperside, the double line on the cross-veins beneath being very distinct 

 and the forewing beneath bearing a row of distinct submarginal ocelli instead of the chain of indistinct 

 shadowy spots of coruscans. — Central China (Chang-Yang). This species appears only to be a more 

 pronounced form of jankoirskii , the latter connecting it with the West Chinese coruscans. Obtained 

 in Julv. 



