COMPARATIVE NOTES ON V. URTIC^, ETC. 279 



white (light greenish grey, violet-grey, yellowish grey) outer 

 area of the under side hind wings in northern forms of urticce is 

 the effect of a tendency further distinguishing them from 

 southern varieties. Extreme forms, which are very conspicuous 

 and somewhat rare, could be distinguished as ab. suhtus-ochrea 

 halteata. I bred several fine examples of this form in July, 1909, 

 from one particular brood of wild Herts larvae under normal 

 conditions, and the experience did not repeat itself since. 



The under side fore wing of the normal ichnusa is interesting 

 for exhibiting conspicuously a row of light ochreous spots near 

 the lunules of the fore wing. These markings correspond with 

 similar spots in V. io ; in V. urticce they are less conspicuous 

 than in ichnusa, while the American milberti female exhibits the 

 full chain of these Vanessid spots. 



If then V. urticce and var, turcica clearly belong together, the 

 facial relations of urtica-ichnusa, on the other hand, would read 

 as follows : — 



Under sides : — In V. urticce these wing parts are whitish, 

 ochreous and black (greyish) or brown-black ; in var. ichnusa 

 warmer brownish yellow, brown-black. 



Upper sides : — {a) In ichnusa the inner marginal blotch and 

 median puncta (when these appear in the male) are not in the 

 same position as in urticce — they are farther removed from the 

 outer margin, and also they are placed in a more slanting 

 position, i. e. not in a line almost parallel to the margin as in 

 urticcs. The marginal markings are different. 



{b) The basal portion of the fore wings is covered with 

 yellow and black scales (which together to the eye look greenish, 

 a well-known effect of the two colours when so " mixed") right 

 up to the first costal spot ; while in urticce these parts contain 

 the richest and darkest portion of the ground colour. 



(c) In ichnusa the light yellow markings of urticce are darker 

 and much reduced in size by the spread of the ground colour. 



{d) The ground colour in ichnusa is much as in typical 

 urticce ; the tendency to red is less in ichnusa, however. If 

 ichnusa does to the eye appear more brilliantly coloured, more 

 red than urticce, then this effect is simply caused by the greater 

 unbroken expanse of one colour in the median and outer area of 

 the wings at the expense of other markings or colours. The 

 "greenish" (black and yellow) basal wing area greatly assists 

 in producing a brilliant colour-effect in the other wing parts. 



To prove these points, which had puzzled me till at last I 

 brought some specimens of ichnusa into my possession for direct 

 comparison with my specimens of urticce, I took two normal 

 orange specimens of urtica, and patched out the black markings 

 of the right wing pair of one with pieces cut from the wings of 

 the other specimen. The patches were put on as indicated in 

 fig. 2 by the lined markings. Also the yellow inner marginal 



