ARICIA MEDON. 235 



row except the costal. Hodgson observes that the species tends 

 distinctly to the ab. discreta, though the ab. glomerata is by no means 

 uncommon. K characteristic grouping of the spots on the forewing 

 assumes a racquet-shape, or, in the case of absence of the geminated 

 spot, a fairly good circle. 



It is difficult to formulate any rule as to variation in size. 

 Speaking generally it may be said that the tendency is to become 

 smaller in higher latitudes and altitudes, and that, where the species is 

 double-brooded, the first brood is generally somewhat larger than the 

 second. But the exceptions are numerous. The largest specimen in 

 the Brit. Mus. coll., for instance, comes from Amurland,and measures 

 38mm., another from the same district measures 34mm.; there is also 

 a specimen from Sweden that measures 35 mm. In these localities 

 the species is doubtless single-brooded. On the other hand, there is a 

 specimen from Hyeres, dated March 30th, 1898, which is only just 

 over 22mm., and another from Messina, from the Zeller coll., which 

 is but 23mm. Those from the Greek Islands, again, are very small, 

 as are those from Cyprus and Crete, but these having been taken in 

 September, it is probable that there may even be three broods in these 

 latter localities, as is certainly the case in Greece both on the mainland 

 and in the islands. Bellier's types of var. calida from Corsica are also 

 small, as is usually the case with var. ornata from Algeria, i.e., about 

 24mm., yet a specimen from Morocco in the Brit. Mus. coll. is no less 

 than 36mm., as is also a specimen from the Pyrenees (Gavarnie) these 

 being the largest in the collection except the Amurland example already 

 mentioned. The dark race from Sary Ob, in Sarafschan (Turkestan), 

 though taken at an altitude of 7,000 to 9,000ft., all measure about 

 30mm. Specimens of var. nazira from the Himalayas average slightly 

 larger than British examples, measuring from 24mm. to 32mm. The 

 specimens of var. sar matin from S.E. Russia are a somewhat large race 

 and all measure about 32mm., being of about the same average size as 

 var. gallica from Brittany, and slightly smaller than the Bosnian race 

 which measures about 33mm. The Greek specimens (Morea, v., 

 1900, Athens, 11, v., 1900, Parnassus 22, v., 1900) though the 

 locality is further south, measure only from 26-28mm. The most 

 southern race of all, var. cramera, from the Canary Islands, is not 

 large, but varies considerably in size, the <y s in the Brit. Mus. coll. 

 ranging from 24mm. to 30mm., and the ? s from 27mm. to slightly 

 less than the largest $ . 



The range of variation is greater in Britain than in any other area 

 of the same size. Normally, the orange border is bright and full on 

 all the wings in the south, and, advancing northwards, becomes 

 narrower, especially on the forewing, and less bright ; gradually it 

 disappears from the forewing altogether, and becomes slight on the 

 hindwing, especially in the J . Examples of ab. allow*, in which the 

 orange is entirely absent from all the wings, occur occasionally in 

 Lancashire, Westmoreland and Scotland. At the same time the 

 pupils of the spots on the underside tend to diminish in size, and 

 across the Scotch border have generally disappeared. A few white 

 scales are often to be found round the black discoidal spot on the upper 

 side of the forewing, and these also occur elsewhere than in England, 

 e.g., in some specimens of var. gallica, Obth., from Brittany ; they 



