SEASONAL POLYMORPHISM, 127 



these forms and a very slight reduction of the black pattern on the 

 whole constitute the only seasonal characters I have been able to 

 detect in the summer generations, as compared to the first generation, 

 anstrali.'i, Zeller, to which ti(jeliifor)nis, Vrty., is perhaps equivalent, are 

 also probably forms found only at the hottest time of the year. 



Pararge maera, L., subspecies vulf/aris, Vrty., race appennina, Vrfcy. 

 The name adrasta, Hiib., appears abusively in lists of every sort 

 of region, and has thus nearly lost all meaning, as in all the races of 

 the group vulgaris females are found with an extensive fulvous patch on 

 the forewings. On the contrary, true female adrasta, as figured by 

 Hiibner, with no trace of dark shading even at the base, with a vivid 

 colouring, and with elongated wings, constitutes a well-defined race 

 found in certain regions, such as the south of Prance, according to 

 Wheeler, in the second brood of the hottest localities. In Tuscany some 

 males come near that of adrasta, and very rare examples of the other 

 sex are similar to it as regards the extent of the fulvous, but not in 

 size, brightness, shape, and other minor characters. I propose to 

 make a clear distinction between the race of Hiibner and extensively 

 fulvous specimens of other races by naming the latter adrastaeformis. 



Pararge aegeria, L., subspecies egerides, Stdgr., race italica, Vrty. 

 I have not been able to detect any seasonal variation in the three 

 broods of Tuscany ; individual variation is, on the contrary, very great, 

 and I find, mixed together with characteristic bright fulvous italica, 

 specimens which correspond exactly to Friihstorfer's races elegantia, 

 camoena, and egestas, and which I think should be called elegantiae- 

 FORMis, camoenaeformis, and egestasiformis. T notice only that 

 typical italica is more frequent in the early spring and late autumn, 

 and that in hot localities and seasons the very dark camoenaeformis 

 occurs more often. I must mention the interesting aberration in 

 which the brown pattern is so reduced in extent as to be quite similar 

 to that of female wegera, the fulvous so-called " spots " blending 

 together and revealing their true origin from the ground-colour. In 

 Tuscany I have only found females, but I have a male from Vendee of 

 the race intermedia, as described below. I should call this ab. atavica. 



I have tried to clear up the entangled question of the name inter- 

 media, which has been given all sorts of meanings by different authors. 

 Riihl, in Pai. Gross-schinett, p. 681 (1895), seems to be the first who 

 introduced it in literature, and he has the right of priority ; he says it 

 has been given (evidently by collectors) to transitions between the 

 nymotypical aegeria and egerides, such as those found in Naples and 

 other localities. I possess races exactly answering this description 

 from Vendee, the Pyrennes, and Sicily, which are really intermediate 

 in all the numerous characters distinguishing aegeria from egerides (see 

 Ent. Record, xxviii., p. 166). Tutt, in 1896, gives the same name to 

 specimens which are intermediate as regards the tinge of the fulvous 

 colouring, but he seems to have overlooked all the other much more 

 important characters ; such a description would have been very mis- 

 leading, because italica, although it is a pure egerides, is jnst as brightly 

 fulvous as aegeria ; it would have included both iyitermedia, Riihl, and 

 elegantia, Prhst., which are entirely different from each other. Seitz 

 next publishes the same name, attributing it to Weismann, and figur- 



