THE ATHALIA GROUP OF THE GENUS MELITiEA. 107 



III the illustration (Fig. 1), which is greatly magnified, the 

 sticky disc at the base of the filament is very clearly brought 

 out, although the pollen mass or anther at the other end is 

 somewhat frayed. 



The moth is one of the specimens of P. festiicm previously 

 mentioned, and the photograph has been taken from the under 

 side of the head. 



[Figure 2 is from a photograph (x 10) taken by Mr. F. 

 l^oad Clark, showing the pollen mass on the head of Cacidlia 

 umbratica. We are indebted to Professor Meldola for the loan 

 of the specimen. — Ed.] 



38, Ferguslie, Paisley. 



THE ATHALIA GROUP OF THE GENUS MELITMA. 

 By Rev. George Wheeler, M.A., F.E S. 



(Continued from p. 83.) 



The range of variation in aurelia is, so far as my experience 

 goes, less than in any of the other species as yet considered. 

 The form of the plains is decidedly lighter than that of the 

 mountains in general appearance, though occasionally the hind 

 wings, even in the former case, show an inclination to melanism, 

 reminding one of the hind wings of dictynna. It is stated by 

 Kane, following some of the German writers, that aurelia is a 

 larger and finer insect in Germany than in Switzerland. This 

 statement I cannot help thinking is mainly due to a general un- 

 certainty obtaining amongst German authors as to what is or is 

 not aurelia. It is only lately that I have come across Gillraer's 

 paper in the ' Archiv des Vereins der Freunde der Naturgeschichte 

 in Mecklenburg,' vol. lix. pp. 59, &c., which is the first that I 

 have met with which seems to display any grip of the matter, 

 though I am far from asserting that I have searched all the 

 local German publications, and may have missed other more or 

 less satisfactory pronouncements. At any rate, if any such 

 difference does exist, it must be confined to Northern Germany, 

 for the South German, Swiss, and Bukowina aurelia do not differ 

 except in detail from each other. The Scandinavian aurelia 

 again do not appear to be larger, so that it is highly improbable 

 that the species increases in size as it goes northward in 

 Germany. Two large specimens I have seen which I am 

 inclined, on the strength of the under side in particular, to 

 assign to this species, viz. a pair submitted to me by Mr. Lowe, 

 which he had obtained from Staudinger as britomartis, which 

 they in no way resemble, if judged, as they must be, by the 

 original type. Of this pair the following is a description : — 



i2 



