IN SEARCH OF RUSSIAN BUTTERFLIES. 293 



area beyond yellowish green clouded with blackish; terminal line 

 black, interrupted. Under side whitish ; all the wings have a blackish 

 discoidal mark and band beyond, the discoidal mark of fore wings 

 large and distinct. 



2 . Similar, but markings of the fore wing less distinct and the 

 outer third of the hind wings almost entirely blackish. 



Expanse, <?, 50 millim ; 5 , 54 milHm. 



Collection number, 1859. 



One example of each sex from Arizan ; the male obtained 

 March 19th, 1909, and the female July, 1908. 



This species comes very near to D. polyphcsnaria, Guen., 

 but the fore wings are somewhat broader and the hind wings are 

 whitish. 



AN EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF RUSSIAN 

 BUTTERFLIES. 



By W. G. Sheldon, F.E.S. 



(Continued from p. 274.) 



Glaucopsyche cyllarus. — Not uncommon at laltaand Novorossisk, 

 and abundant at Sarepta, where it was seen on our first day, and fresh 

 examples kept emerging during the whole time of our visit ; evidently 

 these were delayed emergences of the first brood and not a second 

 brood. The specimens taken were of average size, the females 

 entirely brown ; both sexes had a maximum of blue scales on the 

 bases of the wings underneath, and less than the average number of 

 ocelli ; the inferiors were in some cases entirely devoid of ocelli. 



Lycaena arion. — This species was common at Sarepta on and 

 after May 28th ; it was local but widely distributed, and was ahvays 

 found in the vicinity of wild thyme. The race is a handsome one, 

 usually the blue lowland form, but a few var. obscura were taken ; 

 the black spots on the upper sides are well-developed, and in many 

 cases elongated and lanceolate in shape. 



Celastrina argiolus. — Not uncommon at lalta. First seen as a 

 second brood at Sarepta on June 17th ; the black spots on the under 

 sides are larger than those of Western Europe examples. 



Libythea celtis. — This species was not uncommon alongside the 

 lower road from lalta to Gourzoff. The specimens, of course, had 

 passed the winter in hibernation. 



Neptis lucilla. — It was one of the most fascinating experiences of 

 our stay at Sarepta to see the abundance of this graceful species, 

 usually so rare in mid-Europe. I am aware that one or two localities 

 there, including Botzen, produce it in some numbers, but not, I think, 

 in anything like the abundance that it is found on the Volga. 

 Everywhere in and around woods it swarmed to such an extent that 

 there were often ten to a dozen specimens within a yard or two of 

 one. The only locality in which I had previously met with N. lucilla 

 was Herculesbad, where it was so rare that my two dozen specimens 

 involved something like an 18,000 ft. climb. At Sarepta any day at 



