BUTTERFLIES OF GILAN, N.W. PERSIA. 31 



Coliascroceits, Fourcr. (ednsa, Fab.). — May- June, Enzeli. Common 

 in open spaces, and on the sandhills which fringe the sea. Var. helice 

 was not at all uncommon in June. 



Epinephele jiirtina, L. (janira, L.) var. ghilanica, Le Cerf. — June 

 6th-30th (males), June 21st- July 4th (females), Enzeli. This beautiful 

 race was abundant at Enzeli, flying in the depth of the forest more 

 often than in open glades. The males visited bramble blossom. Le 

 Cerf's type came from " Sia-Khani " (alt. 6,000ft.), and he received 

 specimens from various places, all on the northern slopes of the 

 Elburz, between June and July. 28th. My specimens, which have 

 been compared with the original series by Le Cerf himself, show that 

 specimens from below mean sea level differ not at all from those from 

 6,000ft. The race, in fact, is characteristic of the forest, at whatever 

 altitude, and differs in numerous characters, including genitalia from 

 the races of the stony plateau. 



Vanessa io, L. — February 19th-to March 20th, Resht. 



Pyrantels atalanta, L. — February 19th-March 20th, Resht. 



These two species are confined in Persia, so far as we know, to the 

 province of Gilan (and Mazandaran probably). P. atalanta, however, 

 occurs in Baghdad. 



Pyrantels cardui, L. — -This species was abundant at Enzeli 

 throughout the spring and early summer. I have already (1920) 

 recorded that in the spring larvae were being used by sparrows to feed 

 their young. The larvae fed on many low plants, principally 

 Gnaphalium sp. 



Argynnis paphia, L. — Early July, Enzeli, and Tula Rud, N.W. of 

 Enzeli, in the Persian Talish. The specimens are large (<? 78mm., 

 $ 80mm.), and in the British Museum are two from Lenkoran 

 (Christoph coll.), $ 77mm., ? 80mm. This species also appears to 

 be confined in Persia to the Caspian littoral. It was common and 

 freshly emerged in the Talish at sea level, both sexes visiting bramble 

 blossom. 



Everes argiades, Pall.— June 3rd 1 <? , 3 ? , Enzeli. It seems 

 useless to attempt to refer these few specimens to any of the races 

 which have been described; it is a pity that more were not obtained. 

 The male measures 27mm., the females 30mm., 30- 5mm., 31mm. 

 There are no Persian records, so far as I know, except from the 

 Caspian provinces. 



Celastrina argiolus, L. — March 30th, 1 <? , Menjil (in a thickly- 

 wooded gorge). June 30th-early July, $ $ , Enzeli and Tula Rud, 

 Talish. July 9th, ? ? , Tula Rud, Talish. 



This series differs from any local race in the British Museum ; the 

 essential characters are that in both sexes on the underside the discal 

 spots are not abnormally conspicuous ; the post-discal spots of fore- 

 wing and hindwing are large and very dark, and the sub-terminal 

 V-shaped marks, which are often hardly visible in European 

 specimens, are very large, and tend to coalesce to form an irregular 

 subterminal band on the forewing, and to a less extent on the hind- 

 wing. The underside is similar in colour to that of British specimens, 

 except for the lack of blue scaling at the base of the wing. The 

 colour of the upperside (male) tends rather to violet than to blue ; in 

 the females the black tips are enlarged so as to include the whole costa 

 from the base and the whole terminal third of the forewing; the black 



