BRENTHIS PALES, ITS HISTORY AND ITS NAMKD FORMS. 153 



obliterated markings on the undersides as in jxth')^. (2 specimens.) 

 {Stett. ent. Zeit., vol. 84, p. 176.) 



" Hoffmann states that in the North Finland laiip(»iicii the wing- 

 surface is frequently suffused with a strong darkening. {Stett. ent. 

 Zeit., vol. 54, p. 124, 1898,) 



" A magnificent inelanic northern aberration has been named : — 

 a. form inditcta, Sandberg, Knt. Tid., 1882, p. 129; Sahlberg, 

 Med. Soc. Fn. Fl. Fen., p. 205, pi. 5 ; Ber. Ent. Zeit., 190H, pi. iii., 

 fig. 6. 



" Melanic forms of the species are frequently observed in southern 

 districts : — 



h. form nigra, Aigner, Ann. Mas. Nat. Hunr/., 1906, p. 502. 

 " Upperside wholly sooty-brown, longish spots only in the distal area 

 of both wings. Underside : forewing without markings, hindwings 

 with three large white basal spots, on the distal margin white elongated 

 marginal spots, all other markings wanting. From Ochsenheimer's 

 collection. Agrees somewhat with Freyer's figure, Neii. Beitr., vol. ii., 

 pi. 187, fig. 1. Somewhat closely agrees with Riibner's figures, Eur, 

 Sclun., vol. I., 617 and 618. 



'M. pales ab., Wagner, Jahresb. Wien. Ent. Fe?-., 4, 1895, p. 46, 

 pi. 1, fig. 4. From Carniola. Above 1,500m. — Upperside blackened, 

 but the ground colour here and there, e.g., in the distal area, showing 

 through. 



" ^. pales ab., Hirschke, Jahresb. Wien. Bint. Verz., 16, 1905, p. 5, 

 pi. 1, fig. 8. Hochschwab, Steirmark, July. — Fore- and hindwings 

 blackened up to the distal area. 



" A. pales var. arsilache ab., Galvagni, Ver. z-h. Gess., vol. 52, p. 586. 

 Santigjochel, Odernberg, 1900, August 19th. Only the forewings 

 blackened on the basal half, hindwings partly indistinctly darkened 

 without real marking (with fig.) 



" A name may here be reasonably given for the development of this 

 melanic characteristic. If one carries on the bestowal of names on 

 individuals, one must also bestow a name on the butterfly here men- 

 tioned, for none of the others occur like it. 



" According to Pagenstecher its distribution is over Arctic Europe 

 and Asia. Also the most northern European locality is Hammerfest. 

 (Romer and Schaudien, Fn. Arct., 1898, vol. ii., pt. 2, p. 324, 1901.) 



Gillmer, in Int. Ent. Zeit., vol. ii. (1908), p. 396, sums up what is 

 known of the larva and ovum of var. arsilache, which is practically 

 negative evidence. The imago frequents moors and marshy meadows, 

 and is especially attracted by the flowers of Eupatorium cannabimim, 

 Comaruni. palustre, Lychnis fios-cuculi, and especially by the thistles, it 

 is also often found held by the sundew Drosera rotundifuUa. Many 

 marsh plants in its localities have been searched for larvae and ova, 

 but unsuccessfully. 



In 1908 Oscar Schultz, in Soc. Ent., vol. xxii., p. 179, described an 

 aberration of Brenthis pales, and gave the name thales to it. 



" The upperside of all the wings are much darkened ; only on the 

 outermarginal area are traces of the brown ground colour to be found 

 (in the form of rings or streaks). In extremely developed examples of 

 the aberration, silver spots run together in a radiate way are found on 

 the underside of the hindwings. This aberration has been met with 

 frequently. An extreme form of it was caught by Wagner at 



