(| XXxvill_ ) 
‘‘to purplish black. The males, it will be observed, have a 
‘strong tendency to develop a dark central transverse band 
‘“‘or a dark subterminal band, but very rarely are both 
“present in the same specimens. ‘The distinct sexual 
‘‘dimorphism here exhibited, however, does not occur 
‘throughout the British Isles. At Morpeth the males con- 
‘sist of a mixture of the ordinary chestnut form, together 
‘‘ with purple forms, the latter being coloured like the females 
‘‘which show the usual purple-red range of variation. If, 
‘« therefore, in this species the purple be considered the older 
‘form, it is clear that at Morpeth the evolution of the sexual 
‘colour difference has not yet reached so complete a stage as 
‘‘in many other localities. I exhibit Morpeth specimens show- 
‘‘ing the two male forms and usual female form found there. 
‘In Aberdeenshire, where the species is usually abundant, 
‘the sexual dimorphism is again very marked, the females 
‘‘ varying, as usual, very much in the intensity and depth of 
‘colour. I have, however, out of some 200 specimens 
examined from Aberdeenshire, only seen one male of a 
‘‘ purplish-red tint. This specimen, which I exhibit, has a 
‘‘remarkably pale subterminal band to the anterior wings. I 
‘‘also exhibit two remarkable male aberrations from Aber- 
‘deen, one with a clear central band with scarcely a trace of 
*‘ discoidal spots between a dark basal and a dark subter- 
“minal band; the other deeply suffused with purplish- 
*‘fuscous. There is also among the Delamere Forest speci- 
‘“mens a female with the basal area chestnut coloured, the 
‘‘outer part being very dark purplish. 
‘Four Aberdeenshire females exhibited are the darkest I 
‘‘ have ever seen, and have been selected from a very large 
‘‘number of specimens. One of the Delamere Forest speci- 
‘‘mens is similar. They are, as will be seen, of a fuscous- 
‘“‘black coloration with the normal purple almost obsolete. 
‘‘These dark specimens have, as a rule, very indistinct stig- 
‘‘mata and transverse markings. 
‘Perhaps the most peculiar fact about this species, how- 
‘ever, is, that in Ireland, so far as I know, the males and 
‘females show none of the sexual dimorphism so distinct 
‘‘and prevalent in Great Britain, but both sexes are of the 
