EVEKES ARGIADES. 69 



this is the rather large, strongly-marked, eastern Palaearctic form of 

 the species, with well- developed orange markings, which appears to be 

 widely distributed throughout the whole of Eastern Asia, and is 

 usually somewhat larger and brighter than the average examples from 

 Europe, although almost as variable as these. Pryer says that, in 

 Yokohama, the species is very abundant, occurring from March to 

 October, in a succession of broods. The examples vary much in size, 

 and $ s are often to be found with more or less blue on the upperside. 

 T. B. Fletcher found the insect, very worn, at Yokohama, September 

 14th, 1899. Leech observes that he has received specimens from all 

 the localities in China and Japan visited by his collectors ; he says 

 that examples as small as ab. polysperchon, Bergs., are of common 

 occurrence ; but he specially notes that he has not seen the var. 

 coretas, Ochs., from any eastern localities. Some $ s taken by himself 

 in Japan have red lunules on the upper surface of the secondaries as 

 in the $ s, whilst Nagasaki specimens attain a wing expanse of l-5in. 

 It is also common in Corea and Amurland. Elwes notes that he has 

 compared many specimens from Amurland, Shanghai (the native land 

 of the original praxiteles), and Japan (the native land of the original 

 hellotia), and has found them so variable, both in size, colour, and the 

 spots of the hind wing, that he is unable to separate the larger and 

 brighter specimens, known as hellotia and praxiteles, specifically, from 

 argiades. As a rule the Oriental or Japanese examples are larger and 

 more richly spotted, especially at Tokio, but some of those from Askold 

 (Jankowsky) and Shanghai (Pryer) are quite as small as German 

 specimens of polysperchon. This variety, he says, also occurs on the 

 Ussuri at Raddefskaia. 



8. var. praxiteles, Feld., " Verh. zool.-bot. Gesell.," xii., p. 489 (1862); 

 " Reis. Nov. Lep.," p. 281, i., pi. xxxv., fig. 5 (1865). Argiades, Ehves, " Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. Lond.," p. 887, in part (1881) ; Leech, "Butts. China," etc., ii., p. 328, 

 in part (1894). — c? . Lycaena praxiteles, n. sp. Alis supra violescenti-cseruleis, 

 omnibus anguste fusco marginatis, subtus albidis, litura discali tenuissima brun- 

 nescente, punctis exterioribus fuscis, albocinctis, anticis maculis exterioribus 

 diffusis aliisque multo minoribus submarginabilus seriatis fuscis ; posticis punctis 

 duobus basalibus unoque subapicali, subcostali atris albo cinctis, lunulis duabus 

 maculisque tribus pone eas in roargine apicali, dein maculis biseriatis atris limbi 

 postici taeniolam aurantiacam includentibus- <? . Taken by Frauenfeld at Shanghai 

 (Felder, "Verh. zool.-bot. Gesell.," xii., p. 489 (1862). 



This was described from a single $ specimen captured at Shang- 

 hai, and appears to be typical of the smaller form of the species taken 

 in China and Japan, sometimes racially, and sometimes merely mixed 

 with the larger and more strongly marked var. hellotia. It seems to 

 be widely distributed throughout the east and in no wise confined to 

 China. 



e. var. diporides, n. var. Amyntas, Koll., " Hiigel's Ivaschmir," etc., p. 421 (1848) . 

 Parrhasius, Elw., " Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond.," pp. 382-3, in part (1888). Argiades, de 

 Nice., " Butts. India," hi., p. 138, in part (1890) ; Handera, "Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond.," 

 p. 528 (1890). — Notwithstanding that dipora, Moore, and parrhasius, Fab., have 

 been sunk as forms of argiades by de Niceville, Elwes, and others, the general 

 consensus of opinion has recognised parrhasius as distinct. It seems difficult 

 to understand how any doubt could have arisen, but any that could possibly 

 survive is dissipated by the very distinct form of the genitalia. It is a tropical 

 rather than a subtropical species, with distribution from India to Australia. 

 Dipora, with a North Indian distribution, has a facies different from that of 

 argiades (ordinary form) in a darker, more leaden-blue colour, and a wider dark 



