1868. | On the Colour-patterns of Butterflies. 527 
might have been, is occupied by expanded parts of the black venous 
attern. 
; The blush is not always shaded at its junction with the paler 
tint, especially where it takes the form of a patch or a spot; as in 
the tip of the fore-wing of the male of Anthocharis Cardamines, 
the spot in the fore-wing of Gonepterye Rhamni, and that on the 
anal angle of the hind-wing of Papilio Machaon. 
In Vanessa Cardui the blush is suffused over the greater part 
of the fore and hind wings, the pale ground colour appearing in 
spots towards the tip of the fore-wing, on the under side of which 
the “blush” character of the rose-tint is more plainly exhibited. 
In Vanessa Atalanta a similar disposition of colours is ob- 
servable, but the black vein-scales cover a larger portion of the 
wings, the bright scarlet of the blush being shown in a band on 
the fore-wing and on the margin of the hind-wing.* 
The shading of the paler into the brighter hue is well seen in 
Vanessa Urtice. 
The testaceous colour of the Fritillavies I am inclined to 
regard as a blush, uniformly suffused over the whole area of the 
wings. The dependence of the black scales on the veins is seen 
throughout the tribe. 
In Papilio Hector the blush is exhibited in the crimson spots 
on the hind wings. 
In Thais Rumina the blush is broken up into spots, but it will 
be observed that the crimson spots have black edges, and are rarely 
bordered by the yellow ground-colour. 
We have now observed three important elements in the colour 
patterns of butterflies: the pale ground-colour ; the dark markings 
due to the vem scales; and the more or less richly-tinted blush; a 
fourth remains to be noticed. 
Hitherto, the scales themselves have presented no very marked 
distinctions; the black scales, colour excepted, are in appearance 
exactly similar to the adjacent white or red ones. Under a magni- 
fying power and by transmitted lght, all are found to contain 
appropriate colouring matter; thus, an orange band is made up of 
orange-coloured scales, and a black marking of dark and nearly 
opaque scales. 
But conspicuous on the wings of butterflies are certain other 
hues, and these the most splendid of any, which when examined by 
transmitted light are found to be produced by scales not of corre- 
sponding colours. Lycena Adonis, the most brillant of the British 
“ Blues,” has scales altogether colourless; the deep purple on the 
wings of Apatura Iris is produced by scales the colouring matter of 
* That the scarlet band is a blush, shown as it were through an opening in the 
black scales, appears from the under-side of the fore-wing. This is seen still more 
plainly in the allied species Pyrameis Gonerilla from New Zealand. 
VOL. V. Hine 
