BUTTERFLIES OF MESOPOTAMIA, 359 
Genus LYCAINA, Fabr. 
L. astrarche, Berg. “The brown Argus”. Seitz. 1.79k. 
Upperside—Fore and hindwings brown without any blue colouring; a 
black discoidal spot ; a well marked subterminal series of black spots bordered 
outwardly by orange-red lunules complete to apex. 
Localities—Kizil Robat, a few taken in April and May. Kirkuk, a 2 on 
16th October 1919. Very common in the Karind valley at 5,500 ft. in July 
and August. 
Of 36 g, 24 2 examined (19%, 18 9 of these now in B. M.). Capt. 
Riley notes :— 
‘-Exceedingly variable both in size and markings. The short series from 
Kizil-Robat (spring forms) are presumably referable to f. sarmatis, Gr. Gr., 
- on account of the white undersides and the width of the orange bands below ; 
the N. W. Persian series (July-September) agree with them in respect of the 
latter feature, but have the characteristic yellowish brown undersides of the 
summer forms and would best be called f. estiva, Staud.” 
L. icarus, Rott. var persica, Bienert. Seitz. 1.80g. 
“The Common Blue.” Male, upperside purplish blue with rich satiny lustre, 
and anticiliary slender black lines. Female, upperside very dark brown with 
more or less blue irroration, and a subterminal series of conspicuous orange- 
red spots, the spots becoming obsolete towards the apex of forewing. Under- 
side male pale grey, female brownish grey, with a number of white encircled 
black-spots and on hindwing a postdiscal series of black lunules outwardly 
bordered with reddish brown. A basal black spot on forewing. 
Localities.—Mesopotamia : fairly common. Kizil Robat, N. W. Persia : “‘ Seripul , 
where it was flying in numbers on 3rd September 1918. By far the commonest 
Lycenid at Kermanshah ” (Broughton). 
Kizil Robat, Mesopotamia, 14 ¢@,5 9, May-June, July 1919. 
Some .of these Qs have much white on hindwing above just within the 
orange lunules. 
N. W. Persia; Kermanshah. 4 ¢,3 9, late August 1918; Harir, 21 @, 
3 9; Karind Gorgé,8 4, 6 9, July, August, September 1918. 
Small form, dwarf only, 8 ¢, 39, July, August 1918, Harir. 
29 8, 17 Q, of these are now in the National collection. Buxton took 3 
“very ordinary looking” at Menzil, 7th April 1919 ; and Qazvin, August and 
September 1919, ‘* extremely brown below.” 
L. bellargus, Rott. Seitz, Vol. 1., 8lb. 
1 @, 9th August 1918 ;2 @,1 9, 16th August 1918, now added to B. M: 
collection. 
Only one specimen from Persia (1 ¢) in B. M. previously. 
L. (Polyommatus) dama sub-sp. karinda, Riley. A. & M.N. H: 
Vol. 8, p. 597. See Plate Fig. 8°9. 
16 @, 12 Q, of which seven pairs are now in the National collection, taken 
at Harir (5,300) and Karind Gorge (6,000) from 14th July to 9th September 
1918. On 12th August males were common. 
- Note by Capt. Riley :—‘‘ Differs from typical dama in that the discal series 
of spots on underside of hindwing is always complete though the spots com- 
posing it are minute. The marginal and submarginal markings also more 
fully developed. In the female the veins on upperside are conspicuously 
darker.”’ 
B. M. Types No. Rh. 75 % ; 76 Q, 16th July 1918. Karind Gorge. 
LeCerf (Ann. d’Histoire Nat. 11, Pt. II, p. 69, 1913) records ‘1 @ L. dama 
rom Deh Tchechma, Arabistan, Persia, 31, VII, 1898,’ otherwise it would 
