22 MR. H. J. ELWES ON THE GENUS PARNASSIUS. [Jail. ID, 



as a rare aberration in P. apollo, and the larp;e ocelli on the hind wing 

 are sometimes all red without white in the centre. 



The variety named P. hesebolus by Nordmann, according to Alpha - 

 raky's notes on the Butterflies of Knldja and tlie Thian Shan, is 

 found from the end of May to about tlie 7ih of August, between 

 3o00 and 9000 feet. The difference between this form and P. apollo 

 of the Alps consists in the greater size of both sexe5, and the 

 whiter colour of the wings in ihe male, whilst in the female the 

 reverse is the case, so that the difference in colour between ilie 

 sexes is greater in this variety than in the typical P. apollo. P. hese- 

 bolus appears to be the prevailing form from the Ural Monntuins 

 eastwards, though in the Tarbagatai Haberhauer found a form 

 more like the Swiss one. In the Caucasian province the Grand 

 Duke Nicholas says that " the var. hesebolus is found in the same 

 places as P. apollo and many specimens siiow the transition from the 

 type to the variety." In the Carpathians, near Ejieries, the form 

 found is more like P. hesebolus ; whilst in the Jura, according to 

 Meyer-Diir, the P. apollo can always be distinguished from those of 

 the Alps by their duller, more yellowish ground colour of the 

 wings. 



Though P.apullo'm sometimes found flying at the same place and 

 tim.e as P. delius, I have never seen a specimen which could be 

 certainly looked upon as a hybrid. Ur. Ch^i^t of Basle has one 

 which may be such ; but the antenuje seemed to me to resemble 

 those of P. a/)o//o. Meyer-Diir quotes Meissner to the effect that 

 a hermaphrodite of this sj)ecics was taken on Oct. 10, IS 10, on 

 the hill of Tourbillon, near Sion in Wallis. He describes it as 

 follows : — 



"The right-hand side is female, the left male ; the two wings of 

 the female side are longer and broader, the red ocellus larger than 

 on the male side, the right antenna is also longer and stronger. 

 The abdomen has only in the middle somewhat longer hairs. But 

 what proves the hermaphroditism most remarkably is the apex of 

 tiie body, which not only has the horny pouch peculiar to the female 

 in this family, but also tlie male organ clearly projecting." 



I have seen in the collection of Herr Kiider, at Wiesbaden, a 

 hermaphrodite of P. delius, obtained from the late Dr. Settari of 

 Meran, which has the left-hand wings perfectly female, and the 

 right male ; the left side of the body is also less hairy than the 

 right, and though there is no clearly developed pouch, there are 

 indications of hermaphroditism. 



The distinguishing characters between P. apollo and P. delius are in 

 typical specimens clear enough and are enumerated by Meyer-Diir 

 on page 18 of his 'Butterflies of Switzerland;' but the only points 

 which seem to be in all cases absolutely reliable are the hairs of the 

 body and the antenna>, which on comparison show- well-marked 

 and constant difference, 



P. DELIUS. 



Parnassius delius, Esp. pi. 11.5, fig. 5 (1790?). 



