460 BRITISH LEPIDOfTERA. 



mostly connected, 1 often reaches beyond the costa until beyond 3, 

 5 and 6 are also always confluent, and often form only a single large 

 spot, as in A. achilleae, Esp., 3 retains its longish form, and is only 

 separated from 4 by the nervure, 4 is very large, square, sometimes 

 united with 5 and 6. Of 12 examples, one shows traces of an 

 abdominal ring. A red suffusion unites the spots beneath. In the 

 tint of- the red colour this var. comes very near specimens from Amasia 

 and Hadjin, but these have smaller, separate spots, greenish fore- 

 wings, stouter antennae, darker underside to fore-wings, and are larger ; 

 they resemble, but only in markings and the tint of red, christovhi, 

 Staud. To var. sicula, Kagusa's scabiosae (Nat. Sic, vi., p. 237) belongs ; 

 he states that one specimen had 5, the remainder 6, spots, in part or 

 entirely connected, whilst one ? had a red belt and a very narrow border 

 to the hind-wings. Laharpeand others are reported to have taken charon 

 in Sicily. Curo gives (Bull. Ent. Soc.ltal., vii., p. 196) indications which 

 suggest that his examples may refer to the forms described by me, among 

 which everywhere 5 -spotted specimens with a narrow border to the 

 hind-wings occur which might be referred to meliloti ; the latter, 

 however, certainly only occurs in Italy as an aberration of charon." 

 Discussing the various forms referred by himself to this species, 

 Calberla avers that "the red increases by the formation of a sixth spot, 

 and the black marginal border of the hind- wings (with a few excep- 

 tions) increases in width as one goes south." The upper Italian and 

 Tuscan insect, he says, forms another exception, for " it is often 5- 

 spotted, and yet has the widest broad border ; local forms with smaller 

 spots also possess less red colour on the underside, and the rule applies 

 also generally to the individuals of particular races, as does also the rule 

 that with smaller spots on the fore-wings, the black border of the 

 hind-wings is broader. The colour and scaling vary according to the 

 locality. The red abdominal belt appears to be commonly developed 

 only in the southern Alps. The form of the antennte, and the shape of 

 the wings of individual races, show no constant difference, the trans- 

 alpine specimens contain, on the average, longer and narrower fore- 

 wings, and a more strongly concave margin to the hind- wings." 



Ovum. — Under the microscope the egg appears of a pale yellowish 

 colour, tinged with green, smooth, and perfectly oval, apparently 

 varnished and laid in patches with the major axis of each egg parallel 

 to that of the others. The eggs were mottled in places with creamy- 

 white, and there were some black, and a few red and blue scales from 

 the parent adhering to the surface of the egg, the whole appearance 

 of the egg strongly reminding one of that of some birds, especially 

 that of the yellow-hammer. The eggs hatched on July 18th, 1872 

 (Briggs). Bacot observes that the eggs are somewhat similar to those 

 of A. lonicerae, but are laid differently, being less closely packed, and 

 only in a single plane (not upon each other, as in that species and 

 A. trifolii). Compared with the latter, they are larger, more rounded, 

 and the sculpturing less marked. Briggs also notices that the egg of 

 A. melilotiis larger than that of A. trifolii, and very much larger than 

 that of A. filipendidae. 



Habits of larva. — The larvae hatch during July (July 18th, 

 Briggs), and grow very slowly. They hybernate when about three 

 lines in length, and are then of a semi-transparent brownish-white 

 colour, the markings indistinct, giving the larva "somewhat the 



