Genus Melitaea 



This very pretty species is apparently quite common in north- 

 ern California about Mount Shasta. It is subject to variation, and I 

 possess a dozen remarkable aberrations, in one of which the fore 

 wings are solid black without spots, and the hind wings marked 

 by only one central band of large yellow spots; another repre- 

 senting the opposite color extreme, in which yellow has almost 

 wholly replaced the black and red. The majority of these aberrant 

 forms are females. They are very striking. 



(3) Melitaea macglashani, Rivers, Plate XVI, Fig. 3, $ 

 (Macglashan's Checker-spot). 



Butterfly. — Larger than the preceding species, with the red 

 spots on the outer margin bigger, the yellow spots generally larger 

 and paler. Expanse, $, 1.85-2.00 inches; $, 2.25-3.00 inches. 



Early Stages. — Unknown. 



This insect is represented in the Edwards collection by a con- 

 siderable series. They come from Truckee, California. 



(4) Melitsea colon, Edwards, Plate XVI, Fig. 5, $ (Colon). 

 Butterfly. — Of the same size and general appearance as M. 



chalcedon, with which I believe it to be identical, the only pos- 

 sible satisfactory mark of distinction which I am able to discover 

 on comparing the types with a long series of chalcedon being 

 the reduced size of the marginal row of yellow spots on the 

 upper side of the primaries, which in one of the types figured in 

 the plate are almost obsolete. They appear, however, in other 

 specimens labeled "Type." The learned author of the species 

 lays stress, in his original description, upon the shape of the spots 

 composing the band of spots second from the margin on the 

 under side of the hind wings; but I find that the same points he 

 dwells upon as diacritic of this species are apparent in many 

 specimens of what undoubtedly are chalcedon. Expanse, 1.75- 

 2.50 inches. 



Early Stages. — These have not been recorded. 



The types came from the region of the Columbia River, in 

 Washington and Oregon. 



(5) Melitaea anicia, Doubleday and Hewitson, var. beani, 

 Skinner, Plate XVIII, Fig. 13, $ (Bean's Checker-spot). 



Butterfly. — M. anicia is a well-known Californian species, 

 smaller than M. chalcedon, and with a great deal of red on the 

 basal and discal areas of both wings upon the upper side. An 

 extremely small and dark form of this species, found on the bleak, 



140 



