b 



in the leaden males of Agriades thetis. 167 



and apical ends remain open — a tnbe that is sealed at 

 each end naturally ceases to be a tube, becoming a 

 cylinder." 



This description agrees very closely with the condition 

 met with in the " colour scales " of the leaden thetis, but 

 in dolus the tubular scales are blue and presumably retain 

 their cross striation or the fluorescent dye. Similar rolled- 

 up scales have been described by Mr. Bethune-Baker in 

 the " Menalcas " group, in which the wing colour is much 

 whiter than in most Lycaenids. 



I wrote to Mr. Bethune-Baker, who has examined micro- 

 scopically several leaden aberrations in his collection, and 

 has very kindly allowed me to publish his ngtes on the 

 condition of the scales in them. He has examined one 

 Lycaena arion, one Polyommahis icarvs, two Lycaenopsis 

 (Celastrina) jmspa, two Lycaenopsis 2)lania, and a single 

 specimen each of three species of Tajuria, an exotic genus. 



In the arion, which is a dull bluish colour, the scales 

 are only curled up in a small percentage, in the majority 

 being merely thin and inclined to buckle at the edges. 

 In the icarus, which is greyer though not extremely leaden 

 coloured, the scales are thinner and more curled than in 

 the arion. 



In all three species of Tajuria, which are much more 

 leaden coloured, the scales are rolled upwards and inwards 

 at the sides, the rolling being deeper at the apices, so that 

 in many they have a triangular shape. The rolled-up 

 scales are abnormally thin. This thinness is readily demon- 

 strated in one Tajuria, which has one or two spots of 

 blue on the wings, where the scales are flat, normal in 

 colour and of much greater density. 



The two specimens of Lycaenopsis puspa from Formosa 

 show much the same condition as the Tajuria. The two 

 L. planta from Borneo are quite unusually leaden coloured. 

 Under an inch objective the " colour scales " are almost 

 invisible, but under a 12 mm. objective are seen to be 

 excessively thin and rolled up absolutely tight, so tight 

 as to look like a number of short thick pale hairs scat- 

 tered over the surface of the ^^^ngs. The fringes are also 

 abnormal, the usual long, elegant, somewhat fan-shaped 

 scales being replaced by scales like long thin hairs with 

 the apex slightly split up. 



Breeding experiments with leaden thetis would be very 

 interesting. These leaden aberrations, so widespread 



