two specimens from the Hebrides. Mr. M'Lachlan remarked 

 that melanism appeared to be more prevalent in Yorkshire 

 and the north midlands than in the more northern latitudes 

 of the United Kingdom. 



Papers read. 



Mr. H. J. Elwes read a paper " On the genus Erebia, and 

 its geographical distribution." He said that a revision of 

 the genus had become desirable on account of the numerous 

 recent discoveries in Central Asia and elsewhere ; that after 

 studying a very large number of specimens both in his own 

 collection, and in others in Europe and America, he had 

 come to the conclusion that though some of the varieties 

 defined and recognised in Staudinger's Catalogue were 

 inconstant, yet that in the main this classification was far 

 more accurate and trustworthy than that of any other author, 

 and that the revision of Erehia by von Gumppenberg published 

 in the last number of the * Stettiner Entomologische 

 Zeitung ' was neither complete nor accurate. He suggested 

 that a better system of classification might perhaps be arrived 

 at by an anatomical investigation of the clasping organs. 

 The author then gave a sketch of the very remarkable 

 geographical distribution of the genus in Europe, Asia, 

 and America, pointing out on the map the habitat of many 

 of the most remarkable species. He observed that it was 

 curious that there was no species peculiar to the Caucasus, 

 and that in the Himalayas and the Himalo-Chinese subregion 

 the genus is replaced by Callerehia. Erehia is also absent 

 in the Eastern United States of America, whilst in Colorado 

 and the Eocky Mountains the few species found are identical 

 with, or very similar to, European species. 



Mr. Elwes concluded the paper by a severe criticism of 

 Mr. A. G. Butler's views on this genus as illustrated in his 

 catalogue of the Satyridcc in the British Museum, and more 

 recently in his re -arrangement of the collection there. He 

 stated that the valuable and accurately named collection of 

 Zeller had been so dealt with, that, in his opinion, much of its 

 value was at present lost, owing to the fact that many of the 

 specimens had been removed from their proper places and 



