78 



few of Arlaxerxes having a slight black pupil to the ocelli on the reverse 

 side ; and one I took at Duddington Lock has it more distinct than some of 

 those at Newcastle, where it assumes the name Salmacis, some resembling 

 the former, and others differing but little from one southern species or variety 

 Agestis, and which have been supposed by some persons to be hybrids. From 

 those who contend for three species, I would request opinions as to specimen 

 lately taken, near Langport, being evidently a remarkably fine female of 

 Agestis, having a more complete white spot with black pupil than any I have 

 seen from Newcastle ; and I have a specimen or two shewing a little white 

 cincture to the black spot. Surely it would be going too far to make a 

 fourth species, and yet it is better than Salmacis. I think this proves beyond 

 doubt that there is but one species. Mr. Bentley has a beautiful variety of 

 Agestis, totally destitute of black ocelli on the reverse side." 



Mr. Sircom, writing to the " Zoologist/' Vol. IT., says, I have in my 

 small collection Salmacis, which I captured on Durdham Down, Bristol. 

 The cabinet of one of my friends contains a similar specimen, taken in the 

 Isle of Wight." 



In his elaborate notice of Agestis, in his " Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of 

 Northumberland and Durham/' published in 1858, George Wailes concludes 

 with "I think I am justified in writing the three forms of this butterfly, 

 under the single name of Agestis," thus retracting his former opinion. 



When Professor Zeller, in 1867, published his most interesting history of 

 this species in the " Entomologists' Monthly Magazine " (Vol. 4, p. 73-77), 

 he stated it to be generally accepted that Polyommatus Artaxerxes is only a 

 variety of Agestis ; and yet it appeared to him extremely improbable that the 

 caterpillars of Agestis should habituate themselves to the food-plant of Arta- 

 xerxes. However, in Vol. 6 of the same periodical, he writes thus, " On the 

 8th May, this year, 1869, I received four caterpillars of Artaxerxes, sent ex- 

 pressly for me from Edinburgh. Three were full grown, so that one was a 

 chrysalis already on the 10th. The fourth was much smaller; and as the 

 Helianthemum vulgare does not grow in the vicinity of Stettin, I offered it 

 some young plants of Erodium cicutarium, and lo, it bored directly into a 

 flower bud, which on the following day I found eaten out." On the 3rd 

 June, 1877, Mr. Robson, of Hartlepool, whilst searching Helianthemum vul- 

 gare growing near the coast in his locality, found five caterpillars of a Polyom- 

 matus, which he at once forwarded to Mr. Buckler. These he fed upon Heli- 

 anthemum, and they in a short time entered the chrysalis state ; two of them 

 were, unfortunately, attacked with mould, but the other three disclosed three 

 differently marked butterflies, viz. on July 2nd, 5th, and 7th. These appear- 

 ed to be respectively Salmacis, Artaxerxes^ and Agestis,, but to partake most 



