514 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



black as in tityus ; in fuciformis they are coloured red -brown like the border. 

 The following segments are intermediate in colour between the two species 

 named, being lighter ochre-yellow than in tityus ; also the anal tuft agrees 

 fairly well in colour and size with the latter species. The first three abdominal 

 segments are somewhat paler on the underside, more blackish-coloured and inter- 

 mixed with liglit yellowish hairs, the following segments yellowish. Anal tuft on 

 the underside mixed with brownish. The colouring of the breast, the legs and 

 the palpi agrees with fuciformis and tityus. This interesting form is further 

 characterised on the upperside of the abdomen by a slight bluish dusting in the 

 middle of the black girdle, but no special weight is to be laid on this, as it is 

 just as often present in fuciformis as absent. I am unfortunately not able tu 

 name the exact locality of these four specimens from Heyne's collection, as it was 

 not indicated on them. On the other hand one may probably accept with tolerable 

 certainty that they are from Central Europe, whence came all the rest of Herr 

 Heyne' s fuciformis and tityus ; but Innsbruck can be given as a surer locality, as Herr 

 Alexander Heyne received two others from there. Whether this is the product 

 of a cross between fuciformis and tityus, as I regaid it, or whether it is only a variety 

 will have to be settled by further observations (Bartel). 



Rey states (Berl. Ent. Zeits., xlv., Sitz. p. 18) that this is 

 merely a colour aberration of H. fuciformis, having the broad 

 wing-border of H. fuciformis but the abdomen as in H. tityus. Later 

 he exhibited at a meeting of the Entomological Society of Berlin a 

 series of H. fuciformis which showed distinct transitions to ab. 

 heynei, while H. tityus showed at once definite distinguishing 

 features, and he considered that there could be no doubt that 

 heynei was an aberration of H. fuciformis. At the same meeting 

 Donitz remarked that he had bred this unimportant aberration 

 with typical specimens from larvae taken in Taufers. 



j3. var. simillima, Moore, " Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond.," p. 391 (1888); Kirby, 

 " Cat.," p. 625 (1892). — Hemaris simillima, n. sp. Nearest allied to H. 

 fuciformis. Forewings with a vinous-black costal, outer, and posterior marginal 

 band, the outer band somewhat narrower than in H. fuciformis, the posterior 

 band sparsely covered with olive-green scales ; hindwing with a cupreous-red 

 marginal band, the abdominal border prominently white-speckled. Head, thorax, 

 and base of abdomen pale, dull, ochraceous olive-brown, the two red 

 bands of a dull chestnut tint, basal segments yellowish-ochreous, anal lateral 

 tuft black. Expanse, 1^ inch. Hab. Kangra Valley [Himalayas]. In coll. 

 British Museum. 



In treating this as a variety of H. fuciformis, we do so without 

 knowledge of the insect. Kirby sinks it (Cat., p. 624) as a mere 

 synonym of the latter species. Jordan simply states (in litt.) : 

 ^Simillima differs from H. fuciformis in the forewings being some- 

 what more elongate, i.e., narrower." 



•y. var. robusta, Staud., " Stett. Ent. Zeit.," xlii., p. 394 (Sept. 1881); 

 "Cat.," 3rd ed., p. 105 (1901); Alph., " Hor. Soc. Ent. Ross.," xvii., p. 17 

 (Dec, 1882); Kirby, u Cat," p. 626 (1892); Bart., "Palaeatk. Gross- Schmett.," 

 ii., p. 227 (1900). — Two smaller, tolerably fresh specimens which were caught 

 at Lepsa, one on May 13th, the other 011 August 27th, show that this species 

 has there two broods. Otherwise they scarcely differ from European specimens, 

 only the transverse nervure of the forewing is somewhat more broadly dusted with 

 brown. This is still more the case in the larger specimens from northern Persia and 

 the Thian-Schan, where also the outer margin is broader, yet they scarcely 

 deserve on this account to be brought forward as a local form under the proposed 

 name var. robusta (Staudinger). Varietas major, viridior, alis anticis limbo 

 latissimo, 47mm. — 48mm. (Alpherakv). 



Alpheraky notes (Hor. Soc. Ent. Jtoss., xvii., pp. 17 — 18) : 

 " Staudinger thinks (Stett. Ent. Zeit., 1881, p. 394) that the Thian- 

 Schan form of this species hardly merits to be distinguished from 

 the type. It is, in fact, not a very specialised race, but, being 



