THE ATHALIA GROUP OF THE GENUS MELITMA. 151 
logist’s Record’, vol. xv. p. 818. The original specimens from 
which Rwuhl’s description was made came from Frankfort-on- 
Maine; it is also reported by Rondou from the Pyrenees, but 
he makes no mention of the underside. His description is as 
follows: ‘‘ Fond des supérieures d’un rouge vif, sans la rangée 
mediane de taches noires; bord externe largement noir ; inféri- 
eures d’un noir a peu prés uniforme sauf la bande marginale.’’* 
This it will be seen hardly corresponds to Ruhl’s description, 
except with regard to the up.s. h. w., and it may well be doubted 
whether the form is really the same. 
Var. beata is described by Caradja, ‘Iris’ vol. vi., p. 181 
(1894), as follows: ‘‘In den Thalern der Pyreniien bei Luchon, 
Sost, St. Béat, fliegt parthenie in einer sehr grossen, meist hellen 
Form, meine Sticke von dort messen im Durchschnitt 39 mm. 
(das grosste ? fast 41 mm.). Vielllicht verdient diese grosse lichte 
Lokalform mit einem Namen bezeichnet zu werden, als welche 
ich var. beata vorschlage.’’+ Specimens in the British Museum 
collection from Vernet seem to be Caradja’s beata, but there are 
others from Central France belonging to Sand’s collection 
and very erroneously marked ‘aurelia,’ which correspond 
completely with the above description. 
[The name polynome is attached to certain specimens of 
parthenie in Schaufuss’s collection which come from south- 
western Europe. This name I have traced to Schneider (‘ Sys- 
tematishe Beschreibung,’ p. 218), who refers it to Pillers und 
Mitterbachers ‘ Reisen’, pl. v. figs. 1, 2; this figure purports to be 
maturna which it certainly is not; so far as I can judge i should 
imagine it to have been taken from a specimen of phoebe with 
unicolorous ground, such as are found on the south side of the 
Alps, e.g. at Iselle or at Reazzino. It is certainly not parthenie.| 
Varia, having been generally regarded as a variety of 
parthenie, has not directly given rise to any named forms. It 
seems, however, probable that Aurivillius’ var. norvegica, 
‘ Nordens Fjarilar,’ p. 29 (1888), which is of course given by him 
as a variety of athalia, since he disregards all these specific 
differences, and which is referred by Staudinger to aurelia, 
should really be referred here; it is called varia by Lampa 
( ‘ Tidskrift,’ vi. p. 18, 1889), and it is erroneously suggested in 
the ‘ Entomologist’s Record,’ vol. xiii. p. 346, that on grounds of 
priority Lampa’s name should stand, but the priority is with 
Aurivillius’ name. If, however, Iam right in my opinion that 
* Ground colour of the f. w. of a bright red, the central row of black 
spots wanting, outer border broadly black; h. w. of an almost uniform black 
except the marginal band. 
+ In the valleys of the Pyrenees at Luchon, Sost, St. Béat, parthenve 
flies in a very iarge, mostly light form; my specimens from this locality 
measure 39 mm. across; the largest female almost 41 mm. Perhaps this 
large light local race ought to be distinguished by a name, for which I 
propose var. beata. 
