164 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD. 
they one species intermediate forms ought to be frequent; they 
hardly occur, if at all; a doubtful specimen being always easily 
located if the appendages be examined, as though these sometimes are 
also not too decisive, this has never occurred in any specimen of mine 
in which doubts otherwise arose. 
This may be as good a point as any other, to remark on the curious 
circumstance that we have in the genus Hesperia, at least three in- 
stances of two species being very closely related and only recently, 
indeed, definitely distinguished from each other, in which one of the 
two species is northern and upland the other southern and lowland. 
Fritillum and carlinae are one of these pairs, alveus and armoricanus 
form another, and malvae and malvoides are the third. In the latter 
case, there is difficulty in always deciding to which species a specimen 
belongs, yet the structure of the appendages is so different in the two 
species as to make one doubt whether they are as nearly related as 
their superficial resemblance suggests, and whether perhaps mimicry 
may not be a large element in the approach of the two species, that 
they occupy different areas does not negative this possibility, as though 
the species do not overlap in their habitats, their probable enemies no 
doubt cover the area of both species. 
Onopordi is a comparatively small species, a large specimen is 
34mm., a small one 28mm., 380-32mm. is about the usual expanse. 
In some respects it much resembles fritillum, especially in the 
warm colour of the underside, which is, however, more brown and less 
pink. Its most distinctive character is in the median pale band beneath 
the hindwing. In most Hesperias this is a series of spcts, often more 
or less run together but rarely entirely so; in onopordi it is continuous, 
or if apparently broken it is not divided into distinct spots, but the 
spots fade into the intermediate space across which a pale slender line 
can be seen. This is especially noticeable as regards the inner spot, 
which on its outer margin is distinctly outlined in fritillum, serratulae, 
carlinae, carthami, etc., as a definite rounded spot on its anterior margin; 
in onopordi the outer margin extends outwards, and remaining distinct 
or slightly obscured extends costad to the large median spot. This large 
spot has an extension basewards at its costal side, and on each side has a 
similar extension towards the hind margin, the costal one being most 
pronounced. ‘These processes occur in other species, but in onopordt 
they usually are all three fairly well pronounced, which is rare in any 
other species, but occurs in carlinae and fritillwm. 
There is also a special form of the inner spot of the median band, 
which is hollowed basally sometimes so much as to divide this mar- 
gin into a fork, the inner prong usually shorter, the distal margin 
prolonged, sometimes to a sharp point in the middle of this margin, 
sometimes the prolongation is rounded and nearer the inner margin. 
Onopordi is a comparatively southern species. My specimens 
came from France, Italy, Spain, Algeria and Bosnia. Most of my 
own collecting are from Southern France. The most northern 
localities are Allos, Bourg St. Maurice, Susa, Bobbie, Brides les Bains, 
Pre St. Didier, Neu Spondinig (Stelvio 2,885 ft.). 
The distinctive characters of these four species, with alveus and 
carthamt added for comparison are as follows :— 
Alveus—H.W. underside, inner border of median band almost 
always straight. Basal spot and band united along anterior border. 
Carlinae—H.W. underside, band straighter than in alveus, but 
