456 



P0LYC40NIA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



gracilis. 



zephyrus. P. zephyrus Edw. (SI3 b). Thi« butterfly about corresponds to the eastern c-aureum. The distal part 



of the upper suiface is very light red yellow, scarcely dark-shaded, the c on the underside of the hindwing 

 finely marked but large and wide open. — Larva very similar to that of our c-album, anteriorly red-brown, 

 posteriorly with white saddle; has been found on Azalea occidentalis. The butterfly is common in places, 

 flies all the year round and is distributed from the Eocky Mountains westwards to the Pacific Ocean. 



chrysopiera. P. chrysoptera Wr. (93 c). In this form, which nearly apjjroaches tlio preceding, the hindwing is of a 



fiery yeUow-red, uith all the brown shading of the distal part wantuig, being replaced by dull orange-red 

 splashes and clouds. The ^J has a deep black-brown chstal border to the forewing and very dark spots; vmder 

 surface wood-coloured, the c thin but very widely opened. California. 



faunus. p. faunus Edw. (93 c, d). Judging from both butterfly and larva this is the American Polygonia 



form which corresponds to the European c-albnm. Upper surface much darker yellow-brown than m the pre- 

 ceding, more strongly and darldy spotted and both Avings broadly margined with black-brown. Beneath the 

 silvery c of the hindwing, exactly as hi the European species, is short-curved, compact, strong; the under surface 

 rusticus. itself very variable individually. The autunui brood -wdth the Avings more strongly dentate. — rusticus Edw., 

 which seems to be near the Californian form silvius Edw. (unknown to me), is more intensively coloured, as 

 the somewhat lighter red-yellow groimd-colour contrasts with the dark spots and margins, especially on the 

 hindwing; west coast of the United States. — Larva of faunus almost exactly like our c-albuni, but strangely 

 enough is said to live on wiUows. Edwards, who did not at the time know the larva, argued in a long article 

 against the supposition of a close relationship between P. faunus and c-alhnm. 



P. gracilis Grt. (= c-argenteum Scudd.) (93 d). This form, which belongs in the same group with 

 progne and the small hylas, forms the continuation of the East Asiatic agricula, which is not (as vol. I 

 states) only a local form of c-album. but in places occurs together with this, just as in parts of Europe 

 egea flies together with c-album. gracilis may be easily known by the very dark black-brown margins, before 

 which (on the forewing) or in which (on the hindwing) are placed small light yellow spots. The under surface re- 

 sembles that of agricula or hamigera. (cf. vol. I, pi. 64 a), whilst the upper, which is very similar to faunus, 

 more recalls c-album (cf. vol. I, pi. 63 e). The larva is not known, the butterfly is essentially Canadian and only 

 penetrates into the north of the United States. Westwards it extends to Alaska and specimens which have been 

 taken beyond Behrings Straits in Kamschatka scarcely deserve a separate name. On the other hand in Alaska 

 occurs together with this species also the smaller progne, which may possibly represent merely an offshoot of 

 gracilis. 



P. progne Cr. (= grogne F.) (93 d). This very variable .sjjecies is distributed over an enormous area 

 and extends almost through the entire continent of North America from the Atlantic coast to Alaska. 

 Southwards it extends in the eastern states as far as Pennsylvania. Above the wings have small but sharp 

 spots and dark margms ; before the distal margin a chain of small light yellow spots. The under surface marked 

 as in gracilis, but the distal part more sharply separated from the basal, lighter, more strongly contrasted. 

 Larva more uniform yellow-browai, mostly without distinct white saddle, with variegated spines, on currants 

 and gooseberries, also on elms. Pupa grey-brown, witli a shorter, more obtuse dorsal protuberance, as in 

 faunus. In the southern part of its range the butterfly is to be met with almost the whole year round, hiberna- 

 ting, the generations not differing sharply, but occasionally occurring in a slightly different form (l-argenteum) 

 and an aberration corresponding to the European f-album, sometimes with more brown (south-east) or grey 

 (north-west) under surface. Common in places, although not every year. 

 areas. P. ore&S Ed ir. (93 d). Similar to the precechng species, but mostly larger, the yellow spots before the dark 



distal margin, esjiecially on the hindwing, larger, lunate, the under surface of both wings usually more unicolorous, 

 dark brown, though varying strongly and in the smaller form oreas Edw. sometimes almost unicolorous black- 

 brown with small, dull c. The black spots on the upper surface are usually much more extended, commonly 



sileiius. the ground-colour itself deeper and duller red-brown. The larger, proximally bright tawny form is silenus Edu: 

 (9 e, d, e), which is easy to, recognize by the hght yellow submarginal lunate spots of the upper surface standing 

 out strongly from the ground-colour. In both forms the wings, particularly the hindwing, are very deeply 

 dentate. Only in the west of the North American continent, from Washington and Oregon to Alaska. Locally 

 common. 



haroldi. P. haroldi Deu\ (93 e). This is one of the southern species of the genus, from Mexico. May be known 



by having the dark basal part of the wings distinctly defined against a lighter distal part, which again is 

 distally dark-margined. The hindwing above very little spotted. Hitherto very rare in collections: our figures 

 are drawn from the type in the Berlin Museum; I have seen one specimen in coll. Schaus. 

 g-argenteum. P. g-argenteum DM. d- Hew. (93 e). A large species, and only m size resembhng interrogation is, with 



which GoDMAN and Salvin not very happily compare it. It is probably more nearly allied to faunus and 

 zephyrus, and is thus not very far from the European forms. It is, however, much larger, the upper sm-face, 

 especially in the distal part, more yellow-red than brown- yellow, the hght yellow spots before the marginal 

 band very large and light, before the chstal margm dark hinules. Mexico, not common: Oaxaca, Popocatepetl, 

 Guerrero, in the highlands. 



progne. 



