252 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



11 Eur. Schmett.," i., pi. lxii., figs. 303-306. Allous, Hb., "Eur. Schmett.," i., 

 pi. cc, figs. 988, 991-2 (1834-1841); Heh.-Sch., " Sys. Bearb.," i., p. 124 (1843) 

 [in part]; Hdnr., " Lep. Eur. Cat. Meth.," p. 14(1851); Staud., "Cat.," 1st ed., 

 p. 5 (1861) [in part]; Kirby, " Syn. Cat.," p. 364 (1861) [in part]; Tutt, "Brit. 

 Butts.," p. 180 (1896) [in part] ; South, " Brit. Butts,," p. 161, {in part] , pi. cv., 

 fig. 11 (1906). — As in P. astrarche, except that the row of red spots above is 

 becoming obsolete (Harrison). 



Harrison regards this form as part of what Stephens meant by his 

 var. salrnacis, but, except in the sense that it is found in the same 

 localities, there is no justification for this, as it does not possess the 

 distinctive marks of the type specimens or of the description. It is an 

 extremely common form, probably the commonest in high -latitudes 

 and at fairly high altitudes in Europe, where the small dark var. alpina 

 does not take its place. In the earlier writers it was generally included 

 under allous, since Hiibner figured two males and a female under that 

 name, of which only one, fig. 990, was without red on the upper-side. 

 In later writers, however, it is not generally distinguished by any 

 varietal name but is included under the general name employed for the 

 species. 



8. var. alpina, Staud., " Hor. Soc. Ent. Ross.," vii., p. 52 (1871) ; Buhl, 

 " Pal. Gr.- Schmett.,' 3 p. 262 (1893); Tutt, "Brit. Butts.," p. 181 (1896); Lamb., 

 " Pap. Belg.," p. 229 (1902) ; Wheel, " Butts. Switz.," &c, p. 38 (1903) ; Seitz, 

 " Gr. -Schmett.," p. 309 (1909). — Interesting is a small alpine form in which the 

 <f is always quite dark on the upperside and which might be called var. alpina. 

 The specimens from the extreme north are the same, and one meets with speci- 

 mens everywhere with a dark upperside as aberrations, but, as a general rule they 

 are much larger (Staudinger). 



This description of the var. alpina occurs in an account of the 

 butterflies taken in Greece, it may therefore be presumed that the type 

 specimens came from the mountains of that country ; as it is stated 

 that the specimens from the extreme north are exactly like those here 

 described, and as nothing is said as to the complete absence of orange- 

 red on the upperside, which is a somewhat scarce aberration even in 

 the extreme north, the description must be taken to cover all small 

 specimens in which the ground-colour of the upperside is of a deep 

 black-brown tint, whether they possess traces of the orange-red 

 macular band or not. 



This is a very common form, not only in the high Alps but in the 

 first brood in such sub-alpine districts as the Rhone Valley in 

 Switzerland ; it is sometimes quite impossible to distinguish between 

 spring specimens from Bex, for example, and those of the single brood 

 taken between 6000 and 7000ft. up on the Albula Pass. Entirely 

 spotless S examples (on the upperside) with very dark ground-colour 

 are by no means uncommon at the highest altitudes inhabited by the 

 species, and specimens exist in the Brit. Mus. coll. from many widely 

 separated alpine localities. It is, however, more usual to find traces, 

 or even two or three very narrow lunules, of the orange-red band on 

 the hindwing. In this form it is of very wide occurrence, and is 

 certainly the most usual variety in the highest part of its range from 

 the point of view of altitude, as well as being, as Staudinger says, an 

 ordinary form in the North. It occurs occasionally, though rarely, in 

 England. 



e. var. Montana, Riihl, "Pal. Gr. -Schmett.," p. 759 (1895); Seitz, " Gr.- 

 Schmett.," p. 309 (1909). Nevadensis, Obth., " L6p. Comp.," iv., p. 250 (1910). 

 Agestis var., Bmbr., " Fn. And.," p. 266 (1839) ; " Cat. Lep. And.," p. 37 (1858). 



