THE ATHALIA GROUP OF THE GENUS MELIT@MA. 55 
The second of these forms is the— 
var. helvetica, Ruhl, ‘ Societas Entomologica,’ ii. p. 187 
(1888), which he also describes in his ‘ Palaéarktische Gross- 
Schmetterlinge,’ p. 405 (1892-1895). In the former work there 
is a long Latin description which my respect for the author 
compels me to refrain from giving in the original, so startling is 
its construction, and which I will therefore, contrary to my usual 
practice, translate as follows :—‘‘ Wings scarcely rounded, ful- 
vous above, partially reticulated with fuscous, the hind wings 
with the central band enlarged, in distinct streaks, and forming 
five definitely separate streaks, of which the second and third 
are longer than the first, fourth, and fifth. The hind wings 
beneath yellowish, with the middle band silvery white. This 
form is so far remarkable for a very noticeable mark in the 
second basal cell of the hind wings beneath, a yellow oblong spot 
bordered with black, alike in both wings.” 
This form is remarkable for three things: the complete 
absence of the extra line, up. s.h. w., in combination with a very 
restricted basal suffusion, leaving a broad central band of the 
ground colour, such as is usual in parthenie; the silvery white 
central band, un. s. h. w., in the male as well as the female; and 
the size, shape, and colour of the second spot of the basal band. 
It appears to be a local form found at Bergun and Stalla, in the 
Grisons, in July. The upper side gives a remarkable facies, 
which I have several times noticed in Rhone Valley specimens, 
but without the peculiarities of the under side, though I have 
also taken at Freniéres, above Bex, a very fresh male with 
quite white terminal, central, and basal bands, the light spot also 
being white; this specimen, however, has a normal upper side. 
To this group of aberrant forms also belong three others, 
viz. -— 
ab. samonica, Riesen, ‘Stettin Entomologische Zeitung,’ 
1891, p. 357, which is described as having the upper side of 
corythalia, but the under side normal. 
ab. virgata, Tutt, ‘ British Butterflies,’ p. 305 (1896), which 
‘‘has the spots forming the central band of the fore and hind 
wings lengthened, and these make a distinctly marked central 
band.” 
ab. obsoleta, Tutt, l.c., is thus noted: ‘‘ Occasionally there 
is a failure, or partial failure, of the dark transverse lines, the 
wings becoming largely fulvous.”’ 
We must also add the local Spanish form :— 
ab. iberica, Staudinger, ‘ Catalogue,’ 38rd ed. p. 32 (1901), 
which is thus shortly described: ‘‘ Plerumque major, dilutior, 
minus nigro picta.”’ 
Coming now to the second group of aberrations in which the 
fuscous predominates, the oldest named form which belongs with 
certainty to this species (athalia) seems to be :— 
