THE ATHALIA GROUP OF THE GENUS MELIT^A. 179 



dark yellow to a cinnamon or even chestnut-brown. The outer 

 one is lighter in the part towards the costa, and in the lower 

 part has the black spots which we are accustomed to associate 

 with dictiinna, or at any rate traces of them. In the outer band 

 of this wing the border is always darker than the lunules ; the 

 lowest spot of each of the other two light bands, which are often 

 joined together by a narrow yellow line, he describes as being 

 lighter than the others, and with a certain glassy appearance. 

 This, however, he afterwards found not to be characteristic or 

 constant (Breslau, * Zeitschrift,' No. 15, p. 39, 1850). He treats 

 the triangular spot at the anal angle as belonging to the outer 

 dark band instead of the lunular light one, and remarks on its 

 being light, instead of calling attention to the fact, mentioned 

 incidentally, that the apex is often filled in with brown. He 

 describes the size as being between athalia and parthenie. Its 

 locality was Klarenkranst Wood, about three miles east of 

 Breslau ; as he speaks of taking it on a " flowery common," he 

 apparently uses "Wald" rather to mean a forest or wooded 

 district than what we mean by a "wood." The latter half of 

 June was the time of capture, the males appearing first ; in a 

 fortnight's time only females could be found. A more helpful 

 indication of time is given in his statement that it appears 

 about eight days before athalia. He adds that it does not 

 seem to care for settling on the moist spots of the road like the 

 latter. 



I have considered it necessary to enter thus fully into Ass- 

 mann's description, as this species seems to be so absolutely 

 unknown and confused with all sorts of other species and 

 varieties. The only other authentic descriptions are by Eiihl — 

 one in the ' Societas Entomologica,' fifth year, No. 14, p. 106, 

 and the other in his ' Palaearctic Butterflies.' The former is 

 the more important and interesting. In it he regrets the 

 inadequacy of the material from which he had to make his 

 description, but such as it was it was invaluable. There 

 was in Frey's collection a specimen purporting to be hrito- 

 martis, which, however, the owner would not allow him to 

 examine ; but in Zeller's was one, placed unreservedly at his 

 disposal, which was sent to Zeller by Assmann himself, and 

 from this, and two in his own possession which he compared 

 with it, his description was drawn up. Now of course the im- 

 portant question to-day is. What did Assmann mean to describe? 

 and therefore. Where caii any of his specimens be seen ? Both 

 Zeller's and Frey's collections passed into the hands of the 

 British Museum authorities, and therefore are naturally to be 

 looked for in the Natural History Museum at South Kensington ; 

 but alas ! they have long ago been broken up, and their con- 

 tents scattered about amongst the remnants of other collections 

 equally disintegrated, in order to make one general collection. 



