j66 LLPIDOPTERA. 



less striking. The more noticeably distinctive characters, 

 however, are on the under side of the hind wings, where the 

 nervui'es are decidedly darker and the silvery spots more 

 numerous, the interspaces (which are of a more ruddy colour 

 than in A. Adippe) being in almost every instance also edged 

 with silvery. There is, however, a curious recurrent variety, 

 known as Eris, and in some Continental localities as common 

 as the type, in which the silvery spots are very faint, or even 

 absent altogether, but the ruddy clouding of the interspaces 

 is usually present. 



Much controversy has been aroused by the question whether 

 this sjjecies has actually been found here, and it will be 

 necessary to go into the various records with some detail. 



The first was of a specimen taken, flying with Adippe, in 

 the New Forest, in 1868, by Mr. Gerrard, and recorded by 

 the Rev. AVindsor Hambrough. It was a singular specimen ; 

 the late Mr. F. Bond thought it a variety of Adippe ; Mr. H. 

 Doubleday, a variety of Niohc. It has been examined by 

 Mr. Sydney Webb, and is doubtless a variety of Adippe. 



In 1871, Mr. C. S. Gregson captured in Westmoreland a 

 beautiful specimen of the variety Cleodoxa of Adippic, which 

 was also recorded as Niohe. 



In 1874, two specimens were sent to Mr. H. Doubleday, 

 one alive, the other dead but not stiff, with the information 

 that they had just been taken in East Kent, with others. 

 Specimens were also sent to Mr. E. Newman and to the 

 Rev. Henry Burney, who set them himself, and still has them 

 (or rather, they are before me at this moment). Others were 

 sent to other entomologists who were willing to purchase 

 them ; and one of these specimens excited the suspicion of 

 the late Mr. E. Birchall, who forwarded it to Mr. Doubleday, 

 by whom it was discovered to be a Continental example 

 reset. At this time, other rare or unexpected species were 

 announced, and offered for sale, from the same district, to 

 such an extent that Messrs. Doubleday and Newman pub- 

 licly discredited them. Much mystery still hangs over the 



