SEASONAL DIMOEPHISM OF LEPIDOPTEBA. 75 



The largest and most beautiful blue spots are possessed by some 

 Japanese specimens of the summer and spring broods, 1 Sar- 

 dinian, and 1 Lapland specimen. 



C. Without a trace of blue were : — 



1 specimen from Genoa (eleus), 



1 ,, ,, Greece (eleus). 



3 specimens ,, Lindau, summer brood. 



8 „ „ Leipzig, kept at 24-30° C. 



7 ,, ,, Japan, spring brood. 



The blue spots are consequently individual variations, which are 

 formed everywhere and under the most varied temperatures ; 

 they often appear only slightly, and still more frequently only 

 suggestively, as single blue scales. It is questionable how they 

 are to be explained ; possibly, as vestiges of an early marking, 

 which is in the course of disappearing ; possibly, also as a new 

 character asserting itself. 



2. The red band on the under side of the hind tving. — There 

 are on the grey-brown ground colour of the under side of the hind 

 wing of all specimens oi phloeas, so far as I have seen, brick-red 

 lines along the outer margin, which are referred to in the books 

 as " confluent reddish lunules." They are also in reality very 

 often distinct as separate *' lunules'* in cells 1-5, but they are 

 frequently also joined together in a line running in an almost 

 zigzag shape, from which the red spreads inwards to a narrow 

 washed-out band. This red marking varies, but, as it seems, 

 independently of temperature ; it is rather local, in such a way, 

 that the individuals of a particular district all present an almost 

 equal development of the same. Thus all my Japanese speci- 

 mens of the summer brood, 72 specimens, have a broad and 

 vivid brick-red coloured band, in opposition to the specimens of 

 all other countries, with which I can compare. Felder founded, 

 indeed, his Polyoinmatus chinensis on this peculiarity. I have not 

 found this })and again in any other colony of the species. Speci- 

 mens from North Germany always have only a narrow red line 

 or disconnected marginal lunules, which are sometimes strongly, 

 sometimes slightly, brick-red ; the Lapland specimens also have 

 these lines very distinct, just as the South German and Berlin 

 specimens, and also most specimens of eleus from Greece, 

 Corsica, and Genoa. Sometimes, indeed, the red is very dull ; 

 yet I have never entirely missed it. The lunules, which are the 

 feeblest in colour and the most washed-out in marking, are 

 those of my Neapolitan specimens, which were subjected to cold 

 as pupae, and so far consequently the formation of this character 

 depends upon the temperature, although the washed-out appear- 

 ance of these lunules is a result of the great humidity in the 

 refrigerator. The marking was washed out in many butterflies 



G 2 



