176 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



with blue on the upperside. [Two $ s from Broussa are also without green, one 

 from Denizli, and two from Rhodes (April and May) are almost without.] 

 4. — The number of black rings in the antennae is variable as in the <? . 



Excluding Zeller's references to the Asia Minor, Neapolitan, Apennine, 

 and Trieste captures, it will be noted that most of the remaining remarks 

 above apply to the var. celina, Aust. Indeed, they point out excellently 

 the characteristics of this celina form. As bearing on the difference of 

 the specimens in its different habitats, Zeller further notes that, " at 

 Messina, the species appeared as early as April 4th, the $ s with 

 strong border on the forewing and black spots on the hindwing ; the 

 underside as in the German specimens, the 2 with blue on the upper- 

 side, the red spots of forewings not sharply defined ; underside as in 

 German ones. At Syracuse, on the wastes and hills of old Syracuse, 

 where the insect is not common, the $ is of a clearer more beautiful 

 blue ; black shading from the border line and black ends to nervures 

 on forewing ; large black spots touching border of hindwing, only one 

 has the spots nearly showing through the blue ; underside much 

 yellow in the ground colour, yellow-green at base, not reaching basal 

 spots, four 2 s in May have blue on the upperside and yellow-green 

 base on underside ; on and after June 18th, quite without either. 

 At Catania, mostly on a marshy meadow near the town, where species 

 of clover grow between the reeds ; $ s approaching adonis in colour, 

 black markings generally as at Syracuse ; the spots on the hindwing 

 divided by black nervures, and in two specimens surmounted by 

 reddish ; underside with varying degrees of yellow in the ground 

 colour, bright green only quite at the base, two taken July 2nd, were 

 more normal in colour on upperside, and on underside the suffusion 

 extended to the basal spots ; 2 s without blue on upperside or suffusion 

 on underside, and with large, sharply defined, red spots and yellow- 

 brown on the underside. At Messina, not uncommon in July, larva 

 presumably fed on Spartium junceuw, on which the butterflies rested at 

 night, flying in the day about scabious and other flowers — almost all 

 $ s near adonis in colour, a few intermediates, however, show that 

 they are merely alexis altered by food and climate ; bordering line of 

 forewing often very broad, always with dark shading within it, 

 nervures black for a long distance, black spots on hindwing some- 

 times indistinct, sometimes large and clear, always divided by black 

 nervures ; underside much like German $ alexis on the hindwing, 

 but with the forewing always grey (only one $ , dated July 26th, is 

 so unlike these, and so like the Neapolitan ones that the date is 

 probably wrong) ; 2 s like those of Catania ; size, very varied, many 

 not larger than small ae<jon. At Naples, alexis was common at 

 Camaldoli, sitting at sunset on the branches of Spartium scoparium 

 at the edge of the chestnut woods, much larger than Sicilian specimens ; 

 <? s approaching northern ones, but still with yellow in the ground 

 colour of the underside of the hindwing, and in the blue suffusion 

 which is still restricted, but the colour of the upperside is often that of 

 German specimens ; border line narrow, only quite the ends of the 

 nervures black ; rarely more than one or two spots showing through 

 the blue of the hindwing ; 2 s of the colour of the Messina summer 

 brood, but accord in size with their own $ s. The same is the case 

 with the very small 2 s I found at Foligno on September 5th and 

 Tolentino on September Gth ; two $ s of September 5th are of the 



