562 Mr. H. J. Elwes on a 



the veins in the male is not so well-marked in this 

 species as in laodice. 



A. lysippe is a perfectly good and distinct species, 

 which seems rare both in Japan and Amurland. It has 

 usually been known under the name of ruslana, Motsch,, 

 but, on referring to the description, I think that it 

 cannot be applied to this insect. He says, " Statura, 

 arg. laodice sed minor" (while Janson correctly says of 

 lysvppe larger). The rest of Motschulsky's description 

 would do for any species of Argynnis, and there is not a 

 word to indicate the characters by which it can easily be 

 distinguished from laodice, namely, the different shape 

 of the fore wings, shaped as in A. anadyomene, and the 

 apparent dilatation of three instead of one of the veins. 

 Another reason, which makes me think that Mots- 

 chulsky had another species in view, is that he speaks 

 of possessing " un bon nombre d'exemplaires," whilst 

 lysijype seems to be always a rare insect in Amurland, as 

 well as in Japan. Unless, therefore, the type of Mots- 

 chulsky's species can be discovered, I think Janson's 

 name must be adopted, as his description is a good and 

 clear one. The females are larger and greenish in 

 tint, shaped like the male, and having the same whitish 

 spot near the apex of the fore wing, as the female of 

 A. laodice. 



A. anadyomene is allied to the last two species, but 

 has a well-marked structural difference in one vein only, 

 the first median, on which for fully half its length the 

 scales are strongly raised and thickened. It seems 

 common in China, and does not vary. 



A.ixvphia, in the East of Asia, is as common as in 

 Europe, and there increases in size, as do so many other 

 butterflies. The females are in Japan and China seldom. 

 or never so yellow as in Europe, and the so-called 

 aberration valesina is rather the tj^pe than the variety. 

 In Europe also, in particular places and seasons, it is so 

 common that it is rather an instance of dimor23hism 

 than of variation. What I consider a real aberration is 

 the form known as anargyra, Stgr., in which the hind 

 wings are without silver bands below ; but such forms 

 are hardly worthy of scientific names, for if once recog- 

 nised they may be multiplied to any extent, and are 

 rather a prize for collectors than of interest to scientific 

 naturalists. A. paphia has the scales of all three 



