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was produced by a dense mass of scales crowded together on 

 each side of the nervules. 



Paper read. 

 Mr. Jenner Weir read the following short paper, entitled 

 ^' Notes on the nervules of the fore wings in the males of 

 Argynnis paphia and other species of the genus " : — 



In the course of a discussion which took place at the last 

 meeting of this Society on the nerv'ules of the fore wings in 

 the males of Argynnis paphia, it was stated that there was a 

 dilatation or thickening of tiiese nervules. I then expressed 

 an opinion that there was no such dilatation or thickening of 

 any of the nervules, but that their apparent dilatation was 

 produced by a danse mass of scales crowded on each side of 

 them. This view I deemed to be well known, but as no one 

 supported my opinion, I have this evening brought here the 

 wings of three species of Argynnis, an examination of which 

 will, I think, prove the correctness of my assertion. The 

 wings of Argynnis paphia, which I exhibit, have been denuded 

 of their scales by the Waterhouse process. I have found 

 that, although this process removes the ordinary scales from 

 the wings, it has but little effect on the black androconia, 

 which, in this species, so densely clothe the central part of 

 the submediau nervure, and first and second median nervules. 

 It was only by using considerable friction with a camel's-hair 

 brush that I succeeded in removing these scales. The andro- 

 conia are therefore somewhat differently constituted to the 

 ordinary scales of the wings ; and even the scales that overlap 

 them appear to be much more difficult to remove than ordinary 

 scales. 



I also exhibit the upper wings of Argynnis adippe, which 

 have been treated in the same manner as those of A. paphia. 

 In this species {A. adippe) the androconia were more easily 

 removed, but still required the aid of a brush ; they exist on 

 the first and second median nervules only. 



I have also with me fore wings of the male of the American 

 species, Argynnis atlantis. In this butterfly there are andro- 

 conia on the two radial and three median nervules, and on the 

 submedian nervure ; this is a mode of their distribution 



