188 



ARGYNNIS EUPHROSYNE. 



Light Pearl-bordered Fritillary. 



EUPHROSYNE, Linn. Euphros'yne, one of the Graces. 



This Fritillary expands in the width of the wings from one inch and tbree 

 quarters to nearly a couple of inches. On the upperside they are fulvous, 

 spotted and marked with black. On the underside, the hind-wings are of a 

 dull yellow or ochreous, with brick-red blotches, a row of silver semi-circular 

 spots at the hind margin, a large oblong silver spot in the centre of the wing, 

 and a smaller one at the base. 



It varies similarly to others of the genus. The black spots become larger 

 until they coalesce, sometimes forming bands, &c. 



A very curious variety is in the collection of Mr. Yaughan. It is of the 

 ordinary form in all respects, except that the spots on the upperside are 

 silvery or rather leaden in colour, instead of being black as usual. 



A specimen in Mr. Brigg's cabinet has the base of the hind-wings entirely 

 black : it was captured at Folkstone, in 1876. In Mr. Bond's collections 

 are specimens of a buff, orange, or almost white ground colour. 



Stephens, in his " Illustrations," gives the following. 



Var. b. With the marginal fascia of silvery spots on the posterior wings 

 wanting. 



Yar. c. With the basal half of all the wings above, black spotted with 

 fulvous ; with large black spots on the anterior wings beneath. 



Var. d. With the ground colour of all the wings of a pale fulvous yellow, 

 both above and below. (This is Euphrasia, Haw. M.S.S.) 



Yar. e. Wings above pale fulvous, irregularly spotted with black : anterior 

 beneath pale varied with yellowish and ferruginous towards the tips, with 

 some obsolete black or dusky spots on the disc : posterior wings variegated 

 with ferruginous, yellow, and green, with the pupil of the ocellus very large, 

 the discoidal silvery spot produced to the hinder margin, and the usual mar- 

 ginal spots lengthened inwardly ; the usual fasciee are obliterated, but the 

 silvery spot at the base is somewhat apparent. 



The latter is the Thalia of the old " Entomological Transactions/' pub- 

 lished in 1812; but the Thalia of the continental writers is referred by 

 Ochsenheimer and Godert to Selene. However, it is the Thalia of Hubner. 

 Mr. Haworth in recording it writes : " I have an English specimen of this 

 rare and beautiful insect ; which is, perhaps, a very extraordinary variety 

 only of P. euphrosyne" 



Thalia, Hub., occurs more frequently in Sweden and Norway ; and another 

 named var. Fingal, Herbst., is also found in the more northerly parts of 



