ARICIA MEDON. 243 



The species (as it was considered) was for a long time regarded as 

 being extremely scarce, and Donovan states in 1813 that there was 

 only one other cabinet in London in which it was not represented by 

 a paper representation. This, by the way, was regarded as a deception 

 and a very " low-down " proceeding. Perhaps the drawings were cut 

 out, and pinned so as to look like real insects, otherwise the entomolo- 

 gists of the time seem to have been as hypercritical as the literary 

 lights of a previous generation over Chatterton's " forgeries." Soon 

 after the publication of Donovan's work it was found in abundance at 

 Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, and its distribution is now much better 

 known. It has been found in most of the Scotch counties as far north 

 as the Firth of Cromarty, and is especially abundant on the coasts of 

 Fife, Forfar, and Kincardine. It is also occasionally taken among 

 other forms in the northern counties of England, extending as far as 

 Eichmond, Yorks., and is reported also from Ireland. Specimens 

 have been taken at Clonbrook in Galway by Dillon (Ent., xxvii., 

 p. 89), and identified by Kane, and there is one in the Brit. Mus. 

 coll. labelled '"Dublin," but without further data. There is also a 

 record from the Crimea." 



The usual form of var. artaxerxes is that in which there is a white 

 discoidal spot on the upperside of the forewings, and an entire absence 

 of black pupils to all the eyespots, including the discoidals, on the 

 underside. The amount of orange-red on the uppersides varies greatly, 

 from entire absence to a fairly complete border on fore and hindwings. 



The following are aberrations of var. artaxerxes. 



a. ab. quadripuncta, Tutt, "Brit. Butts.," p. 180 (1896); "Ent. Bee," 

 xiv., p. 114 (1902) ; Lamb., "Pap. Belg.,"p. 229(1902). Quadripunctata, Staud., 

 "Cat.," 3rd ed., p. 83 (1901) ; Hagg., "Ent. Bee," xiv., p. 247 (1902) ; Spuler, 

 " Sebmett. Eur.," p. 63 (1902) ; Harr., "Ent. Bee," xviii., p. 236 (1906) ; Seitz, 

 " Gross- Scbmett.," p. 309 (1909); Bebel, " Berge's Sebmett.," 9th ed., p. 68 

 (1909); Obtb., "Lep. Comp.," iv., p. 250 (1910). — An extreme form of artaxerxes, 

 with a wbite spot in tbe centre of the upperside of botb fore- and bindwings (Tutt). 



This form is illustrated by Newman (Brit. Butts., p. 123) in the 

 lowest of his three figures of medon, being apparently regarded by him 

 as typical artaxerxes. This, however, is far from being the case ; it is 

 a distinctly scarce form, which is taken occasionally with the more 

 usual specimens of this variety. Dalglish records, in particular, two 

 examples from the coast cliffs at Stonehaven taken between July 10th 

 and 25th, 1894 (Ent. xxvii., p. 353), and Ross has found it to be 

 frequent and recurring in Fifeshire ; Haggart also records it from 

 Galashiels, and Home from Muchalls in Kincardineshire. 



/3. ab. caeruleopuncta, n.ab. Artaxerxes ab., Haggart, "Ent. Bee," xiv., p. 

 247 (1902). An aberration with tbe brigbt red marginal spots continuous down 

 tbe outer margin of botb fore- and bindwings, and also with tbe central spots in 

 tbe centre of tbe forewings blue instead of wbite (Haggart). 



This specimen was taken at Galashiels, and Haggart adds that it is 

 a most striking variation. It is analogous to Albuhna pheretes, ab. 



* Tbis is almost certainly erroneous. Tbe statement occurs in a list of 

 captures (Ent. ii., pp. 230-1) made by Young in Persia, in tbe following passage : 

 "" Lycaena argiolus, L. alsus, L. avion, L. corydon, L. adonis, L. alexis. (Tbe only 

 place wbere I ever met witb L. artaxerxes was on tbe Yaila Dagh, above Yalta, in 

 tbe Crimea, in June, 18-56)." As no mention is made of medon under any of its 

 other names, and as tbis form bas never otherwise been met witb outside tbe 

 British Isles, it may, I think, be taken as almost certain that the name artaxerxes 

 is used inadvertently as equivalent to medon (G. Wheeler). 



