108 BR. A. G. BUTLER ON THE [Feb. 6, 



males being silvery sky-blue, fading on the borders into creamy 

 white and with similarly coloured veins. 



4. Zizera argia. (Plate XI. figs. 7, 8.) 



Lyccena argia, Menetries, Cat. Mus. Petrop. ii. p. 125, pi. x. 

 fig. 7 (1857) ' 



Lyccena japonica, Murray, Ent. Month. Mag. xi. p. 167 (1874); 

 Prver, Ehop. Nihon. pi. iv. fig. 24 c (1886). 



Lyccena cdope, Fenton, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 351. 



Occurs in Mantchuria, Corea, and throughout Japan. The 

 male of the wet phase somewhat nearly resembles the same phase 

 of Z. dihita, but the much whiter under surface with sharply defined 

 black spotting would separate the two insects at a glance : the 

 dry form (Z. japonica) first induced me to conclude that the 

 association of the four preceding geographical forms together 

 under one specific name must be an error ; it, in fact, resembles 

 none of the other dry forms, the upper surface of the male being 

 of a rich lavender-blue, with the extremities of the veins and a 

 very narrow marginal line dark brown, the under surface, unlike 

 its wet phase, being brownish grey. 



When the wet phases only of these four species are compared, 

 one is tempted to think that they may be varietal forms of the same 

 species ; but all the dry phases are perfectly distinct. No lepido- 

 pterist who possessed only Z. ossa and Z. japonica would for a single 

 moment hesitate to regard them as evidently distinct species. 

 As 1 hold that a species is represented by all its forms, and not by 

 one alone, I should still consider the preceding species distinct if 

 they showed no difference whatever at the wet season, so long as 

 their dry phases exhibited such well-defined characteristics. 



5. Zizera lysimon. (Plate XI. fig. 9.) 



Papilio lysimon, Hiibner, Eur. Schmett. i. pi. cv. figs. 534, 535 

 (1791-1803). 



Southern Europe. 



Staudinger notes Mauritania and Asia Minor as localities, but I 

 should hesitate to accept these without first examining specimens 

 and comparing them with those of the south of France or Spain. 

 De Niceville quotes Lyccena yalba as a synonym, but Staudinger 

 widely separates the two in his catalogue. From Z, hiysna, to 

 which it is allied, Z. lysimon differs in its duller less clear violet 

 colouring and considerably broader brown borders. What species 

 Mr. De Niceville identified as Z. lysimon in India I cannot guess : 

 Z. karsandra is the nearest ; but, although the illustration which 

 he gives of a female seems to me to represent some females of the 

 latter species, the fact that he comments upon my quoting it as 

 Z. karsandra from the Malay Peninsula seems to hint at its being 

 something different. One thing, however, is certain — Z. karsandra 

 is much more nearly allied to Z. knysna than the latter is to 

 Z. lysimon. 



