334 



SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



The common British species of Pieris are also 

 abundant throughout Europe, including P. daplidice, 

 alluded to as being so rare in Britain. There is 

 another species found in all the Alpine regions at 

 high elevations, P. callidice ; whilst in Russia and 

 Turkey occurs yet one more species, P. chloridice, a 

 butterfly of delicate appearance and colouring. In 

 Greece P. h-neperi, a Western Asiatic species, 

 reaches Europe, but is exceedingly local, its proper 

 habitat being Asia Minor and Persia. 



In the next genus, Anthocharis, of which our 

 common "orange-tip" is the most widely distributed) 

 there are several other orange-tipped species, one of 

 which is of common occurrence on the Mediterranean 

 littoral, also generally in Southern France and Italy. 

 This is the beautiful " aurore de Provence," the male 

 having bright 3'ellow wings, accompanied by mar- 

 vellously brilliant tips of reddish -orange to the fore 

 wings. This species is common in the spring, and I 

 have seen it at Nice as late as the beginning of July. 

 The most beautiful European species is A. damoiic 

 which, with the smaller A. gruneri, is found in the 

 South-east of Europe. There are several closely 

 allied forms of the genus in which the orange patch 

 is altogether absent ; but the hind wings are beauti- 

 fully marked with green and silvery spots or stripes. 

 These are A. belemia, A. belia, and A. tagis. All 

 these species exhibit local varieties and seasonal 

 dimorphic forms. 



There is a genus closely allied to Anthocharis that 

 has no British representative. This is Zegris, con- 

 taining two species found in Europe, Z. eupheme and 

 Z. pyrothoe. The first of these occurs in Spain, and 

 also in Russia ; the second belongs more truly to 

 Western and Central Asia, but is found in the 

 province of Orenburg in East Russia. These species 

 are " orange-tips" in both sexes. 



In the genus Leucophasia, L. sinapis, ' ' the wood 

 white," is common throughout Europe. There is an 

 additional species, quite distinct, but in Europe 

 almost entirely confined to Southern France and 

 North Italy. This is L. duponcheli. 



The "Clouded Yellows" are represented on the 

 continent of Europe by several species in addition to 

 our Colias edusa and C. hyale. Some of these are 

 alpine. C. palaeno and C. phicomone ; some boreal, 

 C. nastes and C. heda ; others, C. chtysotheme and 

 C. myrmidone, are only found in Eastern Europe ; 

 whilst C. erate only occurs in South Russia. One 

 more species, C. heldreich, a species allied to C. edtisa, 

 inhabits exclusively the mountains of Northern 

 Greece. 



In the genus Rhodocera, besides R. rhanini 

 there exists a second species, R. cleopalra, which is 

 generally distributed over the South of Europe. No 

 one who cares about butterflies is ever likely to 

 forget his first sight of this superb species, with its 

 wonderful colouring of bright yellow and deep orange. 

 •This and Anthocharis euphenoides are among the 

 most brilliantly coloured of the European Pieridae. 

 They may frequently be seen flying in the same 



localities and at the same time in the warm southern 

 sunshine. 



Outside Europe the majority of the Pieridae of 

 the Palaearctic Region are inhabitants of Central 

 Asia. There are, however, one or two genera which 

 have the majority of their species in other regions, 

 such as Callydrias and Idmais, which are represented 

 in Syria. A remarkable species from the mountains 

 of Central Asia has been referred to a new genus, 

 Mesapia ; the one species, M. peloria, was at its first 

 discovery included in the Papilionidae and was 

 placed near to Parnassius. It is, however, a true- 

 Pierid, and it is open to question whether there are 

 sufficient grounds for separating it from the genus 

 Aporia. 



There are two other species that have been referred 

 to the genus Aporia, as A. hippia from Siberia and 

 A. kreitneri from Central Asia, which have a striking 

 superficial resemblance to A. crataegi ; but I certainly 

 agree with Mr. W. F. Kirby that they cannot be- 

 placed with that species for reasons which will appear 

 later. The confusion caused by modern nomen- 

 clators in the generic division of the Pieridae makes 

 one almost inclined to group Mesapia, Pieris, Antho- 

 cliaris, Zegris, Leucophasia, and Idmais together, 

 under the old Fabriciari genus Pontia and the re- 

 mainder under Colias. The commonly received 

 method on the Continent is however simple enough, 

 and therefore I shall retain it here as elsewhere in my 

 description of the Palaearctic butterflies. In this- 

 case, however, I refer these two species provisionally 

 to the genus Pieris, admitting only one species of 

 Aporia — viz. A. crataegi. 



In Pieris, P. leucodice found in Persia and Tur- 

 kestan, P. davidis occurring in Central Asia, and P. 

 mesentina in Syria represent groups of the genus that 

 have no European allies. P. cheiranthi and P. wol- 

 lostoni in the Canaries and Madeira were probably at 

 one time local races of P. brassicae, to which species 

 P. canidia and P. deota are nearly allied. P. tadjika 

 is very close to P. rapae, whilst P. melete, common in 

 the Amur, P. oclisenhcimeri in Turkestan, and perhaps 

 the Central Asian P. butleri, are allies of P. iiapi. 



In the genus Anthocliaris there are several species 

 allied to .-/. belia with yellow instead of white wings, 

 and of small expanse. These, P. charlonia, P. levail- 

 lantii and P. mesopo'amiea, inhabit South-west 

 Asia and North Africa. A. fallowi in North Africa 

 is very closely allied to the European A. belemia. 

 The same region furnishes A. eupheno, which is by 

 some lepidopterists considered to be the type of which 

 the European A. euphenoides is a variety. A. nouna 

 from the same regions has by some been relegated to 

 another genus, as has likewise A. bieti, a Central 

 Asian species much resembling A. cardamines in- 

 colour and pattern, but with the apices of the fore 

 wings acuminate, like those of R. rhanini. A 

 very distinct species of Zegris occurs in the Amur, 

 Z. fansti, which has the tips of the wings of a bright 

 reddish-orange. 



The genus Idmais, which is chiefly represented in 



