NOTES ON THE GENUS LYC.ENA. 81 



of hind wings. Fringes of fore wings slightly chequered ; those 

 of hind wings plain white. Under side, typical hellargus. From 

 the upper side alone it would be difficult to say which species 

 this example should be referred to; but judging by the under 

 side one would suppose it to be a variety of hellargus. The 

 colour of the upper surface, although not exactly that of either 

 corydon or hellargus, has something of each in its composition ; 

 the hind-marginal border is suggestive of corydon. 



Aberration taken at Folkestone, Autumn, 1884 : — 



No. 10, ^ . — Blue-black, somewhat darker in hue than No. 5. 

 Fringes chequered, dark grey and black. Under side similar to 

 No. 5, but the discoidal spot of hind wings is obliterated. 



In the note on icarus reference is made to a tendency 

 exhibited by some specimens to assume hellargus colour, but 

 such examples are not in smy way to be considered as parallel 

 varieties to the aberrations just noted. 



That the examples Nos. 1 — 8 are hybrid, or, perhaps more 

 correctly, mongrel offspring of a union between icarus and 

 hellargus, there can be little doubt, I think. Believing as I do 

 that icarus, corydon, and hellargus are not pure species, I can 

 readily admit not only the probability of a fertile crossing between 

 icarus and hellargus or hellargus and corydon, but the further 

 possibility of the issue of any such crossing being capable of 

 reproduction. Of course mongrels would be fertile, but the 

 chances of their pairing among themselves would be infinitely 

 small compared with the probabilities of union between mongrel 

 and either parent form. We may, therefore, venture to conclude 

 that, under existing circumstances, the mongrel character of the 

 offspring of a chance crossing between icarus and hellargus would 

 not be reproduced to any extent, but that on the contrary it would 

 soon be lost again in the type form of hellargus. Some of the 

 issue of these intercrossings might resume certain long-lost 

 characters, and the blue-black form may be an instance of 

 such reversion. 



It has been suggested to me by entomologists who have had 

 much experience with both species in Britain that a union between 

 hellargus and corydon is not possible, because the first brood of the 

 former has passed away before corydon appears, and this last insect 

 has run its course before the second brood of hellargus emerges. 

 In my remarks on corydon, however, I mentioned that the two 



ENTOM. — APRIL, 1887. M 



