LINNEAN TYPES OF PALiEARCTIC RHOPALOCEEA. 181 



<jnite insufficient for us to make out what species it is to be referred to. 

 Fortunately, however, Linnaeus has furnished us a clue which proves that the 

 specimen labelled iris by him is actually the one he intended to describe. In 

 his own interleaved copy of thei X. edit, of ' Syst. Naturae ' he has added a 

 side-note which evidently can only be ascribed to the character distinguishing 

 ilia auctorum from iris auctorum on the upper side of the wings. I quote the 

 description of the fore wings and add the hand-written note inclosed by 

 brackets: "Primores supra maculis albis sparsis in medio & exterius [et 

 ocello nigro inde ferrugineo]." 



It seems to me that those who wish to establish nomenclature once for all 

 ■ on grounds which are not open to criticism will find it advisable to correct 

 the mistake made nearly a century and a half ago, and to re-establish the 

 name iris for the species of which Linnaeus has left us two types. In conse- 

 quence, I venture to suggest that the name pseiidoiris should be adopted for 

 the false iris of authors. 



LiMENiTis POPULi [1758]. Though this species is not marked by Linneeus 

 as being represented in his collection, there exists a specimen labelled by him. 

 It is a male with well-marked white bands. 



LiMENiTiS siBiLLA [1758]. Of this species there exists no example bearing 

 a Linnean label, but one of the specimens strongly suggests a Linnean 

 -origin. 



*Grapta c-ALBUM [1758]. The Linnean type belongs to the form with 

 A^ery dark underside ; three more specimens have been added by Smith. 



* Vanessa 10 [1751]. No specimen from the Linnean collection is now 

 in existence. 



*Vanessa antiopa [1758]. It is very likely that the typical specimen is 

 of American origin, being small and having a narrow marginal band. 

 Linnaeus quotes America as well as Europe, showing he had received it from 

 the New World. 



*VA]<rESSA POLYCHLOROS [1758]. Liunaeus^s specimen is remarkably small 

 and lio-ht-coloured on the underside. 



*yANESSA URTIC^ [1758]. What has been said of V. io may be repeated 

 here. 



*Pyrameis atalanta [1758]. The example labelled by Linufeus is of 

 the commonest form, with moderately wide crimson bands. 



*Pyraiieis CARDUI [1758].. There is nothing noteworthy about the one 

 typical specimen. 



16* 



