EVEEES ARGIADES. 67 



direction the species is a most variable one, and these variations are 

 not confined to any particular region or locality, though every varia- 

 tion could not perhaps be found in any one place ... I have not 

 seen any Indian specimens with no orange whatever below ( = coretas, 

 Ochs.), though many have this colour quite obsolescent." It has 

 already been largely proved (Ent. Re<f., xx., pp. 231 et seq.) that coretas, 

 Ochs. (= alcetas, Hoffmgg.) is quite distinct specifically from argiades ; 

 and Chapman has further proved (by means of the ancillary appendages) 

 that not only are dipora, Moore, and parrhasius, Fab., specifically 

 separate from argiades, Pall., but that parrhasius is comparatively only 

 distantly allied thereto ; E. dipora, Moore, is, however, more closely 

 allied to E. argiades (antea p. 50). Much trouble has arisen in the 

 Indian area over E. argiades, because the latter in its form diporides, 

 Chpm., appears to be more or less coincident with the true dipora, Moore, 

 in the more northern part of its range; the two insects being very similar, 

 and, in markings, differing only in the direction of the transverse row of 

 spots near the middle of the hind wing (just as argiades and alcetas differ 

 in the direction of the similar row on the forewings), and no author 

 hitherto has separated these specifically distinct forms, even Moore asso- 

 ciating dipora and diporides in his collection. As to the various races 

 of E. argiades in the more northern and eastern parts of Asia, there can 

 be little doubt of their specific unity. They are not very dissimilar 

 from the European forms, and Elwes writes (Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 

 1881, p. 887) : " This species appears to be widely distributed through- 

 out northern and eastern Asia, China and Japan. I have compared 

 many specimens from Amurland, Shanghai and Japan, and find them so 

 very variable both in size, colour, and the spots of the hindwing, that 

 I am unable to see how the larger and brighter specimens, described 

 as hellotia, Men., and praxiteles, Feld., can be separated from argiades ; 

 as a rule the Oriental and Japanese specimens are larger and more 

 richly spotted, especially at Tokio, Japan, but some of those from 

 Askold and Shanghai are quite as small as German specimens of var. 

 polysperchon, Bergs. ; this variety also occurs on the Ussuri at Ead- 

 defskaia and Askold." Leech says (Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1887, p. 415) 

 that " the species is common all over Japan and Corea during the warm 

 months; it varies in size from *75in. to l*5in. ; the $ also varies in 

 colour and markings, some specimens being much suffused with blue." 

 He further adds (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1889, p. 108) that " Kiukiang 

 examples vary greatly in size and colour." Pryer also notes that the 

 species is " very abundant in Japan, and that a succession of broods 

 appears during the year ; they vary much in size, and 2 s are 

 often to be found with more or less blue on the upperside " 

 (PJwp. Nikon., p. 17). Manders records E. parrhasius as very common 

 in the Shan States at low elevations, and E. argiades as occurring equally 

 commonly but at higher elevations, suggesting that the different 

 habitats confirm the specific differences that exist. Elwes further 

 notes (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1899, p. 323) that the first generation 

 was common in the Altai at Biisk, in the first week of June, 1898, whilst 

 the second brood, much larger, was out in the Bija Valley, the first week 

 in August. Staudinger describes a central Asiatic form, with pale 

 greenish -blue ground colour as var. decolor. The central and eastern 

 Asiatic forms are not at all unlike the Palasarctic races ; the Indian 



