P0LY0MMATTJS ICARUS. 189 



another below it, one at end of cell, and a curved discal series of seven spots ; a 

 marginal row of indistinct spots, bordered above by a dentate line with pale 

 ochreous interspaces ; the hindwing with three white-circled black subbasal spots 

 and a curved discal series of seven spots ; a marginal row of prominent spots 

 bordered above by a dentate line with ochreous interspaces. Hab. : Yarkand, 

 3923ft. (Moore). 



These appear to be the $ and $ of the Turkestan (Thian-Shan) 

 form of P. icarus. Of the $ , named kashgliarensis by Moore, de 

 Niceville states (Butts. India, iii., p. 75) that "the type and only 

 known specimen is in the Indian Museum, Calcutta; that it is l-45ins. 

 in expanse, and appears to be abundantly distinct from all the Indian 

 Lycaena species, by reason of the smallness and obscurity of all the 

 markings of the underside compared with its large size, but it is 

 possible that were a long series to be obtained, it would be found that 

 the size and distinctness of the markings below, which, in number, 

 arrangement, and general pattern, are those of L. icarus, varied so 

 much as to render it impossible to separate L. kashgharensis from 

 L. persica, L. fugitivd, and the allied species, subspecies or varieties of 

 the parent form." Of yarkundensis, the same author observes (Butts. 

 India, iii., p. 76) " the type and only known specimen is in the Indian 

 Museum", Calcutta, and is l*45ins. (not l-25ins.) in expanse, and that 

 its sex appears to be 2 . He considers that its distinctness from P. 

 icarus is extremely doubtful, especially if it be admitted that the 

 presence or absence of blue or green metallic irrorations at the base of 

 the hindwings beneath, and the obliteration or obsolescence of the 

 discal white streak on that wing are untrustworthy and unsafe 

 characters for specific distinction. Except in the absence of the streak, 

 the Indian Museum specimen differs in no respect from many European 

 examples of L. icarus.'" Grum-Grshimailo (Row. Mem., iv., p. 399) 

 says that one cannot read Moore's description of kashgharensis, nor see 

 the poor figure of it, without recognising at once that one is dealing 

 with a poor specimen of icarus. . . . This species is widely dis- 

 tributed in Kashghar, the $ s (yarkundensis) not distinguishable from 

 the P. icarus from Ferghana, whence comes the form that Staudinger 

 has named turanica "\ He then adds: "The chief peculiarities of 

 kashgliarensis are : — 



(1) The bluer tint of the upperside of the anterior wings of the J . 



(2) The smaller size of all the spots on the underside of all the wings. 



(3) Paler colour of the underside of the wings of the <5 . 



(4) The weak development of the orange-red on the upperside of all the wings 

 in the ? . 



(5) The presence sometimes of bluish scales on the upperside of both wings of 

 the ? , covering sometimes the whole of the surface in the forewings and the hind- 

 wings to the outer border (yarkundensis). 



The form of kashgharensis most different from the typical icarus is 



that of Kitschi-Karamouk in western Alai, which perhaps deserves a 



separate name. Unfortunately I have not the $ , hence, I hesitate to 



* There is an example in the British Museum coll. labelled " Moore coll., 

 Yarkand." This, we understand, is not the type (which is in the Calcutta 

 Museum) but one that was referred to yarkundensis by Moore. The underside 

 appears to agree with that of kashgharensis, the upperside is in such bad condition 

 that nothing can be said about it. 



f Turanica stands as a name of Kiihl's (1895), i.e., five years later than this 

 note of Grum-Grshimailo's (1890). If, therefore, any form was known to Grum 

 in 1890 as turanica, it must, we suppose, have been merely as a MS. name of one of 

 Staudinger's Sale Catalogues. We have dealt with var. turanica, Eiihl (anted p. 182). 



