DURING THE KECENX ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 109 



Argynnis POLARIS, Boisduval. 



Six examples. Hayes Sound, lat. 79°, and from lat. 81° 42' and 

 81° 52' {Feilden), and Discovery Bay {Hart). 



These vary very little, and are quite typical. A. polaris was 

 the only butterfly obtained in the high north by the American 

 ' Polaris ' Expedition. 



The species is probably spread over the whole of Arctic Ame- 

 rica from Labrador northwards ; but there appears to be some 

 doubt as to its actual occurrence in the Old World. Judging 

 from the somewhat numerous examples I have seen, it appears to 

 be comparatively the least variable of all the Arctic species of the 

 genus. 



A. CHA.RICLEA, Schneider. 



Under this head I feel compelled to group 20 examples from 

 various localities, ranging from lat. 79° to 81°52']N". {Feilden and 

 Hart). The places indicated by name are Hayes Sound, Port 

 Poulke, "Walrus Island, Pranltlin- Pierce Bay, Cape Hayes, and 

 Discovery Bay. Never before have I been so perplexed over a 

 series of any insect of which I had made a serious study. "With- 

 out exaggeration, I may safely say that no two of the twenty in- 

 dividuals are precisely alike ; and the extremes present numerous 

 discrepancies. Also I think I may say that not one example 

 precisely resembles the typical Chariclea of Northern Europe : but 

 that this latter also is subject to considerable variation is evident ; 

 and a comparison of the rather numerous figures of it only added 

 to my perplexity, for no two agree. A visit to the British 

 Museum in order to consult the materials obtained from previous 

 Arctic Expeditions did not in the least help me ; for I found just 

 as much uncertainty existing in the arranged collection as in 

 my own mind. The upperside of the insects is subject to 

 great variation, but in a measure that cannot be compared with 

 that presented by the underside of the posterior wings, which is 

 usually considered as furnishing the surest characters in Argyn- 

 nis. I essayed an examination of the anal parts of the males 

 (which I am convinced will often serve to distinguish allied spe- 

 cies in Butterflies), but found that it would be necessary to have 

 the insects in a fresh state (or in fluid) if any reliable characters 

 were to be sought in these parts. 



It would be utterly useless to attempt to describe the forms ; 

 the only thing that could be of service would be to give coloured 

 figures of both sides of nearly every example. Some of them may 



