SOME NOTES ON PLEBEIUS ARGUS. 79 



is perfectly fresh and was taken at Gavarnie, Hautes-Pyrenees, 

 at an elevation of not less than 5000 ft., in July, 1905. On 

 both fore wings the marginal spots are extended into the 

 fringe giving it a chequered appearance ; the ante-marginal 

 ochreous band has disappeared, and the black spots are 

 accentuated — the median row on the other hand are small, 

 but decided. On the hind wings, the basal spots are obsolete ; 

 the median reduced to tiny points ; while the ochreous band is 

 dark, and the metallic kernels of extreme brilliancy. In the 

 other c? ab., on the under side the fore wings are unspotted 

 with the exception of the discoidal, and faintly marked obsolescent 

 median spots ; the whole wing area is dun-coloured, the reduction 

 of spots not quite so pronounced on the hind wings, and the 

 whitish band has disappeared. This specimen was captured 

 by the late Dr. H. C. Lang, at Campolungo, on July 14th, 1905, 

 at about 7500 ft. 



We may now proceed to examine Gerhard's description and 

 figures in detail. He writes (Inc. cit., p. 19) : " Var. Lapponica, 

 viihi, Lappland. A variety of cegoji brought from Lapland by 

 Herr. J. Keitel, which is separated essentially from the same 

 (i. e. (egon) by the more pointed shape of the wings as well as 

 by the spots of the under side." 



This does not help us very much except that it fixes the 

 locality. We must look, therefore, to the figures (pi. 34, 

 fig. 3, a, c? , ^, c, ? ) : a, if it does not fulfil M. Oberthlir's 

 requirements " pas de bon figure," at all events is a quite 

 recognisable c? lapponica ; h represents a ? (it is decidedly 

 more suggestive of a c? ) under side in profile, the ante-marginal 

 band is pale yellow, quite a common form; the ground colour 

 ashen-grey ; c is an all-brown ? upper side which might pass 

 for any small form of (egon or argus irrespective of locality, the 

 brownish-yellow-orauge ante-marginal spots are continuous on 

 both wings. It fixes the brown form as the type. 



Immediately beneath is figured : " ' Var. cegiades, mihi, nord 

 Deutchland' [sic). This variety ... is distinguished from cBgon 

 by its size, the defective marginal band on the upper side of 

 the fore wings and by the arrangement of the spots on the 

 under side " — not a very illuminating description, and it is 

 scarcely surprising that var. cegiades has fallen into oblivion. 

 The figure 1. a of the male however, rather suggests in size and 

 colour tbe Soon $ argus, &$, does 1. h, the ? with the more cegon- 

 like arrangement and size of the spots on the under side, the 

 Soon 2 argus. 



Gerhard's lapponica is, however, sufficiently well figured to 

 leave little doubt of its affinity with argus whatever may have 

 been the relationship of his (sgiades. 



Other points of interest suggested by these Scandinavian 

 forms of P. argus are the failure to produce a second emergence, 



