Progressive melanism on the liiviera. 159 



These dark spotted forms bring us to consider a point 

 that did not clearly arise on the Hyeres specimens. It 

 may perhaps be best formulated by saying that the species 

 has two directions in which it becomes darker, and these 

 spotted specimens are the extremes I have in the direction 

 of an increase of black scales. The other tendency does 

 not exist apparently in the Italian forms; this is a tendency, 

 not to black scales appearing, but to the yellow scales 

 changing their tint to orange and then to deep purple, not 

 in spots and patches like the black scales appear in, but by 

 gradual change of all the scales, or more usually by the 

 appearance of tiie purple scales singly scattered amongst 

 the others. In describing my Hyeres specimens I stated 

 there were no intermediates between the pale and the 

 dark, at least to this extent, that each specimen was at 

 once referred either to light or dark, without hesitation. 

 This, however, true as it may be, misrepresents the facts. 

 Setting aside the pale Hyeres forms, which, though darker 

 on the average, might be matched from amongst the Sici- 

 lian forms, there are a considerable proportion of the pale 

 forms that cannot be matched amongst Taormina forms, 

 and, though pale, and though I so regarded them, really 

 belong to the dark purple variety {inarginata, Wlsm.). 

 These number 8 out of 26 of my original specimens, 1 out 

 of 8 of 1905 specimens, and 4 out of 14 of the Reigate 

 bred specimens of 1905. These differ from the other pale 

 ones by the presence of some purple scales over the wings 

 (a somewhat indefinite character, that I have rather, there- 

 fore, neglected, and which may exist to some extent on 

 those I have classified as pale) but especially (because 

 easily noted) by a narrow line of red or purple scales down 

 the middle of the costal fringe, more marked apically. 

 This line is very distinct in every specimen of var. margin- 

 ata, except one or two in which the dark disc of the wing 

 almost reaches and absorbs it. I presume the yellow fringe, 

 Avith this fine line, round the dark wing, suggested the 

 name marginata. I would suggest that the typical point 

 is really this fine line, and would regard it rather than the 

 yellow fringe as the margin, so as to bring into the name 

 marginata those pale forms possessing this line and that 

 belong more truly to the dark than the pale series. It 

 might perhaps be convenient to give these a separate 

 name, say marginida. 



The present proportion of marginata + marginula at 



