404 MR. H.J. ELWES ON BUTTERFLIES FROM SIKKIM. [May 2, 



the others, which, judging froai tlie collector's marks, were taken with 

 CEneis pumila and Parnassius at a very great elevation. This species 

 has a very distinct and peculiar appearance, quite unlike any other 

 Argynnis. Ahove, the markings are generally similar in arrangement 

 to those of A. gemmata ; but the row of spots on the exterior margin 

 are usually whitish, the ground-colour is paler, and the fringes spotted 

 with white. 



Beneath, the position and arrangement of the markings are very 

 similar to those of A. gemmata ; but all the silvery spots are more 

 elongated and less brilliant, and the deep fulvous markings are almost 

 absent. 



Expanse Tl inch, except the single specimen above mentioned, 

 which is I '4 inch across. 



Argynnis gemmata. (Plate XXV. figs. 6, 7.) 



A. gemmata, Butler, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1881, vii. p. 32 ; Elwes, I. c. 

 It^Sl, vii. p. 467. 



Of this distinct and lovely species I received a considerable 

 number of both sexes, which I take the opportunity of figuring here, 

 as a coloured plate is necessary to give an idea of its beauty. The 

 females differ from the males in having the base and posterior margin of 

 the fore wing grey, and the marginal spots pale outside ; the fringes 

 also are pale-spotted, which is not the case in the males. This 

 species must be very abundant at some localities, probably at a 

 great elevation ; and it is just possible that A. allissima is a still more 

 alpine form of it, analogous to A. melitfea, var. merope, thougii more 

 different from A. gemmata than A. merope is from A. aurinia. 



Argynnis childreni, Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 33 ; Lep. Ins. Nep. 

 p. 11, t. 11. 



A single pair of this fine species. 



Agrynnis lathonia, Linn. 



A. isscea, Moore, apud Gray, Lep. Ins. Nep. p. 11. 



Moore seems to have followed Gray, who followed Doubleday, in 

 separating the Himalayan form from the European one. I cannot 

 find that any description of it has been published ; and I agree with 

 Kollar in saying that it is identical with A. lathonia, though a large 

 series of specimens seem somewhat larger and darker than a series 

 from various parts of Europe. There were some hundreds in the 

 present collection ; but the insect is not common near Darjeeling. 



Chionoeas pumilus. (Plate XXV. fig. 3.) 



C. pumilus, Feld. Reise Nov. p. 490, t. 69. 



Ten specimens agree very fairly with Felder's plate ; but the 

 markings are more distinct and well defined, especially the outer 

 edge of the band on the hind wing. My specimens are also darker 

 in colour and less yellow in tint than the figure of C. pumilus. As the 

 papers containing these specimens were marked in Tibetan with the 

 same characters as the Parnassius, I presume they were taken at the 



