COLIAS EDUSA. 53 



retains seventeen ; Kirby enumerates fifty-five, twelve of which 

 are European. Could we but get series of each supposed 

 species, such as could be procured of C. Ediisa this year in 

 Britain, and allowing (or the variation attributable to geogra- 

 phical distribution or cliniatal causes, it is more than likely 

 that the most discrimiualing speciologist would be baffled. 

 As an instance of community of descent the series would be 

 perfect. Should a great Hyale year, as were 1S42 and 1S68, 

 occur before our Edusa experience is forgotten, we may 

 probabl}' deduce some knowledge from our own two species. 

 We certainly now have T'. Edusa varieties resembling in 

 almost everv detail Cliri/sotheme, Esp., Myrmidoue, Esp., 

 and even the light yellow Erale, Esp. 1 have also seen 

 several males with such a distinct purple gloss, and with the 

 mealy borders to the wings, that they certainly approach 

 Aurorina, H.-S., though perhaps in a mild form. It has 

 been said that Ernte is a hybrid between Edusa and Hyale ; 

 it is most certainly a connecting link between the two 

 species. 



" The boundaries {grenzen) between the species of this 

 genus [Colias] are very uncertain ; the more one compares 

 examples from various localities the more inconstant 

 appear the specific characteristics, which suffice to distin- 

 guish the ordinary species" (Schmetterlinge von Europa, vi. 

 •21). So says Dr. Herrich-Schaffer in his beautiful work. 

 The clouded yellows are generically identical, but as our 

 knowledge of them increases the question will soon develop 

 itself — Are they specifically dissimilar? Many which are 

 now recognised as good species will, like our Helice, have to 

 descend from specific to varietal ranU. Were our small, 

 pale, narrow-bordered, third brood of 1877 perpetuated in a 

 higher latitude or altitude, we should probably have quite 

 as distinct a race as any known Colias. In 1877 H<dice 

 was taken in cop. with male Edusa; and, what is more 

 convincing, I learn through Mr. Meek, that Mr. Gates, of 

 Brighton, bred a male Edusa from an egg laid by Helice. 

 From eight or ten eggs only one reached the pupa state. 



Before summarising last season's results a retrospect of the 

 occurrence of the species in Britain may not be without 

 interest. C. Hyale was common in 1821, 1826, 1828, 18;io, 

 1842 (particularly so, but no Edusa seen), 1843 (many, also 

 Edusa), 1844 (several, Edusa much the connnoner, as in 1843), 

 1847 ; in 1849 there were a lew, 1851 (one record), 1855 (rare, 

 Edusa conimon), 185fcl (two records), 1857 (very common, as 

 also was Edusa), 1858 (common), 1859 (one record), 1867 



