114 



In summinp^ up the results of his recent work on the 

 species, and the conckisions emphasised by the exhibits 

 before him, Mr. Tutt stated that P. icarus extended from the 

 western shores of Europe right away to the Amur district. 

 In the latter area, however, it was extremely rare, and did 

 not extend into Japan. Its southern limit was the Himalayas. 

 Throughout this vast territory it did not attain anywhere so 

 great a range of variation as in the British Islands, although 

 it was possible, with isolated specimens from the Continent, 

 to match most of the forms met with more or less frequently 

 in these islands. Probably, the races existing about the 

 west coasts of both Scotland and Ireland showed the most 

 extreme variation ; next in order were those from the north 

 Himalayas; after them came North Africa and Madeira as 

 productive of considerable range of forms. In Germany it 

 was generally recorded that, although the occurrence of blue 

 females was by no means common, it almost invariably 

 happened in the case of spring-brood examples. Similarly, 

 the opinion was the same in the British Islands, but strange 

 to say, his own experience was at variance with this. His 

 most strikingly blue forms were autumn-caught specimens, 

 and he had found the blue females more prevalent in the 

 later broods. The most brilliant races of males and of blue 

 females were characteristic of the western portions of Ireland 

 and Scotland, with which those from Scandinavia were com- 

 parable. Nowhere else throughout the range of the species- 

 distribution did such striking forms occur in any abundance, 

 although every form could apparently be found in each 

 locality, but only sporadically as a rare aberration. The 

 Germans practically did not know our British races. In 

 fact it was in the British Islands alone that the species 

 reached its extreme beauty and variability. On the north- 

 western slopes of the Himalayas some very beautiful, silky 

 hylas-V\ke forms were to be met with, as also were a race 

 comparable to P. eros, with which species P. icants often 

 flew. The few specimens up to the present time taken in 

 Amurland were extremely similar to the typical English 

 form, but those found on the Afghan borders had the under- 

 sides very pale indeed, with the spots much reduced in size 

 and number. Only in Western France were there any 

 €scheri-\\ke P. icarus at all comparable to those remarkably 

 beautiful series from the west of Ireland, Scotland, and 

 Scandinavia. One other race required mention, the cclina 

 one, occurring in Sicily, Algeria, Morocco, etc., a smaller 

 race, with very strongly marked seasonal dimorphism, the 



