GLEANINGS FROM DARTMOOR. 179 
the obliteration of these spaces is, however, only confined to the area 
between the two ocellations in the primaries, and even here it is very 
variable, for the fulvous yellow marks are nearly always quite promi- 
nent around those spots, this obliteration, however, occurs in all the 
races I am acquainted with except true aristaeus and algirica. I have 
semele from many parts of Switzerland, France, and elsewhere, and 
they are always decidedly larger than British specimens. The form 
found at Bérisal is, I think, the handsomest of the typical (Mid- 
Huropean) race that I know; some years ago I took anice series there, 
both sexes are large, I might say very large, the male is very dark in 
both wings and in the primaries has the fulvous edging reduced to a 
minimum and is without any of that colour between the spots, whilst 
in the secondaries the fulvous spots are reduced to the wedge-shaped 
spots Dr. Verity refers to in his form bipicta; in the female the tawny 
area is large in both wings, brilliant in the secondaries but paler in 
the primaries, and in the latter the ocellated spots are extraordinarily 
large and very deep black. The race from the Hastern Pyrenees 
approaches somewhat the Algerian race, but is greyer and not quite 
so large and bright. 
Bipicta, Verity —It would be difficult to say where this form 
begins or ends, the characters given are so very variable. The ex- 
treme form is very pretty and easily recognisable but, in a fairly long 
series, it would be quite easy to pick out a series of absolute gradations ; 
in the female it is rare, but occurs occasionally. It appears to occur 
throughout the distribution of the species. I have it from Switzerland, 
from the Pyrenees, from Germany, and from Ireland. 
Scota, Verity.—I have been unable to obtain this variety. I have 
specimens from different parts of the North of Scotland, but have as 
yet seen none with the fulvous area at all large. I conclude, there- 
fore, that its locality is extremely limited. In all my Scotch specimens 
there is a tendency to lose the white fascia on the underside of the 
secondaries and for the tone of colour to become more uniform. My 
Digne specimens do not show much increase in the vividness of their 
coloration, neither does a nice little series that I have from the 
Eastern Pyrenees. 
Iam rather surprised to notice Dr. Verity’s remark that African 
specimens get smaller and have reduced tawny areas. I have perhaps 
a dozen Algerian examples, all of which are of large size, with very 
conspicuous fulvous areas. 
It may be of interest here to give some observations I have made 
on the pairing habits of this insect. In several cases I noticed the 
females invariably carried the males; their courtship, however, is 
quite interesting. I had the good fortune to observe it twice this 
summer. The first case I noticed was on a high road, on one side of 
which was the mountain side and on the other a stretch of about 5 ft. 
high close wooden fencing, as a protection against a steep almost 
vertical cliff going right down possibly some 200 or more feet into the 
sea. The male scented the female and at once accosted her, when she 
settled immediately on the wooden fencing, the male alighting almost 
beside her ; a momentary caressing with the antenne was a prelude 
to a rapid change of position, the male then taking up a “ téte-a-téte ” 
attitude, not quite close, but possibly half an inch away, when the 
antenne immediately came into play again, both of which stroked and 
