ARICIA MEDON. 251 



form of medon, as is clearly shown by the conspicuous basal spot on the 

 underside of the forewing. 



It is possible that the name should be regarded as synonymic with 

 medon, Hiifn., but the later is specially stated to be very small, whereas 

 the alio us form is often conspicuously large ; the specimens from 

 Amurland, where this form, or something closely approaching it, appears 

 to be racial, are among the largest known. In northern and central 

 Europe it is widely distributed, but in its restricted sense is not a very 

 common aberration. Many of the magazine references, especially in the 

 the case of specimens from the Alps, should rather be considered as var. 

 alpina, though the restricted ab. allous is also commoner in the Alps than 

 elsewhere. In northern latitudes it is reported by Aurivillius from 

 Scandinavia, but is stated to be scarce ; Reuter announces it from 

 Finland as occurring sometimes with the type ; Nolcken mentions 

 specimens from Russian Provinces on the east of the Baltic ; it occurs 

 in the lists of Lampa from Finland and Bang-Haas from Denmark ; 

 Harrison reports it singly from the neighbourhood of Durham. The 

 reports of its occurrence "commonly" at Arneside refer, we suspect, to 

 ab. semi-allous, Harr. It occurs not uncommonly, as we have stated, 

 throughout the alpine region of central Europe, where specimens 

 closely approaching it are very frequent. Fleck reports it singly from 

 Boumania, Bachmetjew, as very scarce near Sofia, there are also two 

 large Bulgarian specimens in the Brit. Mus. coll. In the northern 

 parts of Asia, and in the mountains, this form seems to become much 

 commoner. Alpheraky found it as common as the orange-bordered 

 form in the Koulja and Tian-Chian districts. Graeser found it scarce 

 at Nicolaiefsk, but common at Chabarofka, and abundant at Pokrofka ; 

 Dorries also found it in numbers in the Sutschan district ; all the 

 specimens taken by Graeser as well as the only two taken at Raddefka 

 and on the island of Askold by Christoph and Dorries respectively were 

 of this form, so that it is essentially the dominant form in the Amur 

 district, and in many parts of it appears to be the only one found. 



j3. var. sarmatis, Gr.-Gr., " Horn. Mem. Lep.," iv., p. 393 (1890); Buhl, 

 " Pal. Gr.-Schmett.," pp. 262 (1893), 759 (1895); Tutt, "Brit. Butts.," p. 181 

 (1896); Staud., " Cat.," 3rd ed., p. 83 (1901); Lamb., " Pap. Belg.," p. 229 (1902); 

 Seitz, " Gr.-Schmett.," p. 309 (1909) ; Bebel, " Berge's Schmett.," 9th ed., p. 68 

 (1909); Courv., " Ent. Zeits.," xxiv., p. 126 (1910). Sarmates, Spuler, " Schmett. 

 Eur.," p. 63 (1902). — The astrarche of Southern Bussia is distinguished from all 

 other varieties by the entirely white underside of both wings, and by a fairly broad 

 red band on the underside of the wings. I name this form var. sarmatis (Grum- 

 Grshimailo). 



The specimens of this variety in the Brit. Mus. coll., from that of 

 Grum-Grshimailo, show a very distinctive form. They have no touch 

 of red on the upperside, and the wings have a rather narrow and 

 slightly pointed appearance. The whiteness of the underside, how- 

 ever, is hardly as conspicuous as in many specimens from Asia Minor 

 and some from Syria. These specimens, which are labelled "sarmatis" 

 by Grum all come from S.E. Russia ; but specimens from Sarepta in 

 the Brit. Mus. coll. have a bright but narrow band of orannge on the 

 upperside on all the wings. The four specimens in the same collection 

 from Sary Ob are quite of the sarmatis form, which therefore extends 

 into E. Turkestan ; they differ from the Ural specimens only in being 

 slightly smaller. 



y. var. semi-allous, Harr., " Ent. Bee," xviii., p. 236 (1906). Agestis, Hb., 



