568 Mr. H. J. Elwes on a 



nitocris or nokomis ; and Mr. Strecker's remarks are as 

 follows : — *' The present two examples from Colorado 

 differ notably from all those from Arizona in the 

 following particulars : On under surface the red colour 

 of primaries is darker, and covers evenly the whole wing 

 except toward and at the apex ; on the secondaries the 

 whole space interior to the second of the two outer rows of 

 silver spots, which in the Arizona examples is powdered 

 greyish green, is deep reddish brown, nearly of the 

 same colour as in the female of aphi'odite, or the male of 

 leto ; they are larger than most of those I have seen 

 from Arizona. On the upper side it presents no diffe- 

 rences. I have always contended that nokomis was a 

 pale abnormal form of cybele, of which we have so many 

 other instances in other species from the dry salt regions 

 of Utah and Arizona, and these intermediate examples 

 from Colorado, with their dark reddish under sides, 

 seem to strengthen my opinion. I can but regret that 

 no males were captured (unless the following be really 

 its male)*, as I consider this is by far the most in- 

 teresting insect in the whole collection." 



A. aphrodite is a very wide-ranging species, which 

 varies enough in the Western States to have received at 

 least three names, for I cannot see how to distinguish 

 alcestis or halcyone in the perfect state, though Edwards 

 says that the larva of alcestis is different, and places 

 halcyone in a different subgroup with coronis; calippe, and 

 edivardsi, on account of t!ie larger and more egg-shaped 

 form of the silver spots on the under side. When, how- 

 ever, a good series is compared together (I have sixteen 

 males and twelve females of this group from various 

 States), I cannot see that his supposed distinctions are 

 constant, and though nausicaa, of which I have four 

 males and five females, taken by Messrs. Hulst and 

 Morrison, is distinctly of a deeper red on the upper 

 surface than any of the rest, yet its under side, like that 

 of halcyone, has nothing sufficiently marked to distinguish 

 it. Mr. Edwards perhaps would say that my halcyone, 

 which were sent by Mr. Strecker, and taken near 

 Denver, are not true to name ; but what else can they 

 be from that locality ? It only shows that if a describer 



* This is put down as cybele by Mr. 8trecker, who is astonished 

 at receiving it from Colorado, and is strongly inclined to the belief 

 that it is the male of the above described form of nokomis. 



