ON CERTAIN BEITISH LEPlDOPTE-RA IN EASTERN ASIA. 85 



Melit^a aurinia, Eott. — According to Mr. Leech, the Corean 

 specimens are larger and paler than European examples. Mr. 

 Elwes says that the species is rare in Ammiand. 



MELIT53A ATHALiA, Eott.— Mr. Elwes writes :— " The forms of 

 M. athalia, found in Eastern Asia, are somewhat different from 

 the European ones ; but the Japanese M. niphona is like those 

 from Askold. The variety orientalis from the Ussuri differs, in 

 the female ses, in having whitish instead of yellowish spots 

 beneath." The Corean specimens are stated, by Mr. Leech, to 

 be usually paler than Japanese, but he adds : — " This species is so 

 variable that it is impossible to form a correct opinion concerning 

 it, without longer series than at present exist in this country." 



Vanessa urtic^, Linn.— This species appears to be repre- 

 sented in Eastern Asia by certain local forms, some of which are 

 more distinctly characterised than others. The Japanese V. con- 

 nexa, Butl. {vide fig., Entom. xxii. pi. viii. fig. 3), is a very hand- 

 some form. Mr. Leech met with it about half-way up the volcano 

 near Hakodate, and he is inclined to believe that it does not occur 

 in any other part of Japan. The Kaschmir form is usually larger 

 than the type, and the colour is duller in tone and more suffused. 

 From N. W. China, Mr. Leech has a very large form, which is 

 exceedingly bright in coloration, and the usual yellow spots on 

 the costa of fore wing are suffused with tawny. 



Apatura iris, Linn. — This species appears to be very common 

 in some parts of China. In Thibet a brown form occurs, to which 

 M. Oberthiir has given the varietal name of hieti. 



PoLYOMMATus PHL(EAS, Liuu. — The late Mr. Henry Pryer, 

 writing of this species, says that in Japan it is very susceptible 

 to temperature, and is subject to great variation in the matter of 

 size, colour, and markings. He adds : — *' I have specimens 

 measuring from 1 to Ig- inch. Some specimens are almost black, 

 others are very light, and some have a row of blue spots on the 

 hind wing. I have taken the dark forms in Boshiu, and the light 

 ones about Yokohama, both in the month of November. As a 

 general rule, with this and many other species, the hotter the 

 weather the darker and larger the specimens ; and Boshiu is 

 decidedly warmer than Yokohama." 



A dark form of the species known as timeus, Cram., is of 

 common occurrence throughout Eastern Asia, and is very similar, 

 if not exactly identical, with the form with which British entomo- 

 logists are familiar as var. eleus, Fab. The other forms, some pf 

 which have been described as species, are also represented in 

 Europe. 



LvCiENA B(ETiCA, Liuu. — A common species in many parts of 

 India, China, and Japan. It varies in size and in depth of 

 colour. 



