ANTHROCERA TRIFOLII AND A. PALUSTRIS. 481 



passed over as early A. filipendulae, although we have already hinted 

 (Ent. Rec., ix., p. 88) that hippocrepidis, Stephs., is probably a modi- 

 fied form of A. trifolii. Briggs notes that the larva of A. palustris 

 (tfifolii -major} approaches more nearly to that of A. filipendulae, and 

 differs considerably from that of A. trifolii. 



Oberthiir recognises three forms of A. trifolii in France : (1) The 

 southern or mountain form very small, less bright in colour, the red 

 tinged with violet, less opaque, and slightly transparent, the blue 

 border of the hind-wings rather wider. Flies at the commence- 

 ment of June, at Auch (Gers), Banyuls, Le Canet, Vernet-les-Bains 

 and Uriage. [Oberthiir believes that it is this form that Duponchel 

 figures , (Hist. Nat., supp. ii., pi. viii., fig. 1). He himself figures it 

 in the Etudes, etc., xxth livr., pi. viii., fig. 150.] (2) The central form 

 brighter in colour, the red of a purer carmine, the spots of the fore- 

 wings larger than in l. A Flies in July and the commencement of August 

 at Biarritz, Cancale, lies Chausey near Granville, Limoges, Dept. 

 de la Sarthe and Normandy, usually near the sea. [Oberthiir believes 

 this to be the form figured by Duponchel (Hist. Nat., supp. ii., pi. vi., 

 fig. 7)]. (3) The Rennes form (palustris) larger, more brightly 

 coloured, the spots frequently confluent, emerging in May and early 

 June at Rennes, in late June at the Foret de Lorges and Quiberon. 

 [This Oberthiir considers to be represented ,by Boisduval (Icones, pi. 

 liv., fig. 8)]. He figures it himself in the Etudes, etc. (xxth livr., 

 pi. viii., figs. 151, 152, 153), but informs us that the colour is not bright 

 enough. Oberthiir refers most of the British examples in his collection 

 (50 altogether) to the form 2, but specimens from Tugwell's collection, 

 labelled " Freshwater, vii., '72," have the colour and size of palustris, 

 whilst specimens labelled " Hailsham, vi., '92," appear to be transi- 

 tions between the forms 1 and 2. Oberthiir further adds that there 

 are in the Dept. Ille-et-Vilaine, two forms of A. trifolii, (1) emerging 

 in May and June in fields near woods, nr. Rennes, (2) emerging in July 

 and commencement^of August on the marshes by the seaside at 

 Cancale, and in the lies Chausey, between Granville and Cancale. 



It is somewhat remarkable that our experience in Britain coincides 

 only in part with that in France. Our "early" form agrees in its 

 small size and the early date of its appearance with Oberthiir 's form 1. 

 Our "late" form agrees generally with Oberthiir's form 2; but 

 our "late" form includes the extreme large form palustris, as 

 represented by the Freshwater specimens (teste Oberthiir), whereas, 

 in France, this same palustris, appears in May and June in 

 fields near woods, and although Oberthiir writes that Boisduval 

 had distinguished in his collection a form of trifolii as palustris, 

 which name he has maintained, yet Oberthiir's specimens, whilst 

 agreeing in every particular in size and colour, can hardly be 

 termed a " marsh " race. He goes on to say that, unfortunately, 

 Boisduval had " not distinguished by a label the particular specimen 

 figured in the Icones." There are, he adds, some specimens of palustris, 

 found in France, extremely similar to his form 2, but the greater part 

 of the palustris, which emerge in May and June, at Rennes, appear 

 to belong to a very specialised local race. This evidence would sug- 

 gest that Boisduval's palustris, MS., is our late " marsh " form, and 

 that Oberthiir has, at Rennes, an insect with all the characters of our 

 larger and later form, but appearing in May and June, and not occur- 

 ring on marshes. EE 



