224 



PSYCHE. 



fApril 1895. 



species, its ni;ile should be the most 

 conservative element in the alliance; 

 and Elis being the youngest species, 

 its female should [)iove to be the most 

 progressive element. Hecla male and 

 Elis female occupy outposts as to race 

 progress, and are thus of necessity more 

 completely ditfcrentiated than the other 

 elements of the alliance. 



The comparison so far is from notes 

 made several years ago. Having lately 

 re-examined all descriptions and tigmes 

 of Hecla available to me here in the 

 wilderness, I am inclined to think vay 

 analysis of the figure-pattern accurate. 

 In order to amplify my knowledge of 

 Hecla., I applied to Dr. Strecker for 

 details in regard to thd Hecla males in 

 his collection, making very specific 

 enquiry as to shape of dark border of 

 primary. In response three pen 

 sketches were sent me, representing the 

 range of variation observed in the 

 Lapland and Greenland examples. 

 These drawings show a method of 

 border corresponding to that found in 

 my own series and described in the 

 present analysis. Another sketch rep- 

 resented the border of primary of 

 Meadii., delineating precisely the style 

 of dark border I have described as 

 practically the constant fashion in that 

 species. 



In print, as also in corresponilence, 

 Mr. W. H. Edwards refers to the 

 general ground color of some JMeadii 

 as indistinguishable from that of Hecla, 

 or of some Hecla, aiul hales this resem- 

 blance into court as a witness to prove 

 Meadil and Hecla one species. Hecla 



was already well known when Mr. 

 Edwards named Meadii, and if theie 

 is now no valid distinction between 

 JMeadii and Hecla there svas none 

 then, and in that case JMeadii should 

 not have been described. In Butter- 

 flies N. A., 1st series, Mr. Edwards 

 closes thus his Meadii text: ''This 

 Colias bears close resemblance to Hecla, 

 but may be readily distinguished by 

 the glandular spot before spoken of 

 (see Plate), a character not found in 

 Hecla, and so decisive that it is not 

 necessary to point out minor points of 

 diflerence." At this late day Mr. 

 Edwards seems to find but one item of 

 ditTerence between the two species, — 

 the •' glandidar spot" — and it is as 

 evident an embarrassment to him at 

 present as it was convenient formerlv. 

 Probably it is not unfair to say that 

 Meadii when named was concluded 

 distinct from Hecla simply on account 

 of two circumstances : one being the 

 presence of the '-glandular spot," the 

 other the fact that the original catch of 

 Aleadii consisted of specimens colored 

 a redder orange than Hecla ordinarily 

 tlisplays. Mr. Edwards is open to 

 criticism in both his earlier and later 

 attitudes in regard to JMeadii. Con- 

 sidering Aleadii distinct from Hecla 

 because the original material oi JMeadii 

 was of a redder orange than that cus- 

 tomary in Hecla was the initial error. 

 The acceptance of this color fact as a 

 proof of distinctness was incorrect in 

 two ways : first, because dependent on 

 the violent assumption that all other 

 JMeadii\\'o\\\<\ prove of as red an orange 



