Mr. H. J. Elwes F.R.S. on Himalayan 
Parnassius. 
Herr H. Fruhstorfer in the Iris Vol. XI. p. 147 describes 
as a „new subspecies Parnassius hardtwickii albicans“. 
What he mean by a subspecies I can only judge from his 
previous writings in which he has given new names to many 
forms and varieties of Malayan butterflies which are neither 
constant or local. The followers of this practice seem to be 
increasing in Germany though its most notorious adherents 
in England have lately been less active than formerly. I 
have nothing to say against any naturalist who after carefully 
studying what has been published, and with sufficient materials 
to enable him to form an opinion, describes a new variety, 
however slightly defined, of a well-known butterfiy; as has 
been recently done by Freiherr von Hormuzaki in the case of 
Melitaea var. dietynnoides, but I must protest against 
such writings as those of Herr Fruhstorfer which are full of 
errors and serve no scientific purpose. I will briefly point 
out the errors contained in his short paper. 
First, he mis-spells the specifie name, which is 
hLardwickii not hardtwickii. 
Secondly, he mis-spells the name of the locality which 
is Lachung (pronounced Lachoong) the valley which forms 
the eastern tributary of the Jista river in Sikkim, and whose 
elevation is from about 5000 feet at its foot to 13500 feet 
at thetop of the Donkia Pass which I crossed in September 1870. 
Thirdly, he says that the elevation at which it was 
taken (16000 feet) is 2000 feet above the snow line. I took 
P. jacquemonti var. sikkimensis as high as 18000 feet in 
this valleyand there was no snow on the southern slopes or 
even at th top of the Donkia Pass in September: vide Hooker’s 
Himalayan Journals. 
Fourth, the socalled subspecies is neither a local or a 
seasonal variety, or even an aberration, and is very inconstant. 
I have precisely similar specimens collected by my own and 
