SOME BRITISH FORMS OF MELIT^A AURINIA. Ill 



Mr. Kane says that Irish examples of var. scotica usually 

 pass muster as var. hibernica. This aberration is supposed only 

 to have been found near Rathowen, in Westmeath. 



Var. provincialis (Boisd.). — Mr. Tutt says, "An almost 

 unicolorous, fulvous form (except the marginal series of paler 

 spots on the hind wings), with the transverse lines somewhat 

 obsolete." He mentions examples of it from Penarth and 

 Lincolnshire. I have only continental specimens. In the females 

 especially, the great suppression of the dark markings is remark- 

 able, the hind margin of the hind wing retaining it most. The 

 ochreous spots are redder than usual, and approach in colour to 

 the rather light and bright fulvous of the other markings. This, 

 with the great reduction of the transverse lines, give the insects 

 a generally concolorous appearance, which is in striking contrast 

 to the much broken-up, tessellated aspect of the type (aurinia). 



Var. merope (Prun.). — A dull, dingy form. The red and 

 yellowish markings in the usual places, but much dimmed, 

 and the size of many of the normally larger spots reduced, so 

 that there is not so much difference between them and those in 

 the smaller row. The dark marking also is dull and hazy. Size 

 small. Mr. Tutt includes this among the British varieties, on 

 the strength of some specimens approaching it in the colouration 

 of the upper side, bred by the Rev. J. S. St. John. I have only 

 European specimens from the Alps, but one small female from 

 Westmeath fairly approaches merope on the upper side. The 

 dark markings, however, are blacker, and the fulvous (second) 

 band on the hind wing larger and somewhat brighter. Nor does 

 the under side correspond with var. merope. 



As far as my limited experience goes, it appears to me that 

 our British forms of the species may be divided primarily into 

 three leading varieties: aurinia (Rott.), artemis (Fab.), and 

 prcBclara (Kane). Besides these we may perhaps include 

 hrimnea, of which I know nothing, and provincialis, of which, 

 as a British variety, I have no experience. But signifera (Kane) 

 seems to me to be only one of the many transitional forms, and 

 not a leading variety, and merope I cannot regard as British. 



The first (aurinia) seems in Great Britain to be the more 

 northern form, also the one which, in most other localities, is 

 apt to appear among the local variety, and more or less to 

 influence it. Thus we find in the southern part of England and 

 Wales, and in Ireland, individuals which might fairly be called 

 auriniay or a more or less close approach to it, appearing among 

 those which we must refer to the local variety ; but even these 

 last are very variable, and many of them show more or less 

 traces of the aurinia form. 



Variation in this leading variety is from the extreme dark 

 northern form (scotica) to the type, and through innumerable 

 transitions inclining towards one or other of the other two leading 



