LYCAENA ARION. 323 



*' diadem" standing out in deeper black through the dark suffusion, the 

 basal portion of the elongated spots sometimes coming beyond it ; for 

 this we suggest the name obscura-imperialis, n. ab. In the var. 

 am uren.ns, judging by the specimens in the Brit. Mus. Coll., it would 

 seem to be racial in the <j> . 



(X) ab. fasciata, ? , Gillm., " Soc. Ent.," xviii., p. 180(1904). Avion ab. 

 Brom., " Soc. Ent.," p. 74 (1893). — The black spots of the forewings on the 

 upperside are very large and coalesce into a black band (except the two spots on the 

 inner margin) ; the hind-marginal band also very broad and of very dark 

 coloring, without any admixture of brown. The blue is a so-called "electric 

 blue," pale and shining (Gillmer). 



The particular specimen referred to was described by Bromilow 

 as coming from the Riviera, and is obviously an ab. of the var. 

 ligurica. The fasciata form occurs, however, in the females of other 

 races, even in such different cases as var. obscura and var. amurensis, 

 and is to some extent an exaggeration of ab. imperialis, having the 

 spots much broader, but, on the other hand, they are generally also 

 much squarer, not so elongated or pear-shaped. Cases, however, 

 occur in which the spots are both broadened and elongated when the 

 general appearance is that of a broad black band only broken by the 

 nervures ; this is the most pronounced form of fasciata. 



(/*) ab. alcon, Stph., " Illus. Haust.," i., p. 88(1828); Kirby, " Syn. Cat.," 

 p. 374 (1871) ; Dale, " Hist. Brit. Butts.," p. 60 (1890). Pseudo- alcon, le Chamb., 

 "Ent.," xli., p. 202 (1908). — Alis supra caeruleis (aut fuscis) immaculatis, 

 margine fusco, subtus fusco-cinereis, serie duplici punctorum ocellatorum (Stephens). 



Le Chamberlain describes his ab. pseudo-alcon thus : — " Aberration 

 of the $ with the wings on the upper surface unspotted, and formerly 

 erroneously considered to be the true alcon of Continental Europe." 

 Both these names therefore represent the form in which the upperside 

 lacks not only the submedian series but the discoidal spot. It is rare, 

 but has occurred both in England and on the continent. 



(v) ab. alconides, Auriv., "Nord. Fjar.,"p. 15(1888) ; Seitz, " Gr.-Schmett.," 

 p. 321 (1910). — Differs from the typical form by its smaller size (sometimes not 

 more than 28mm.) duller blue and by being unspotted above (though the discoidal 

 spot on the forewings is always present) or nearly unspotted, with a broader black 

 border, and on the hindwings being without the round black spotr, ; by the absence of 

 ■ocellated spots within the discoidal spots on the underside of the forewings, and 

 by the less distinct outer, and more rounded inner marginal spots on the underside 

 of the hindwings. In all these characters it approaches L. alcon, and is often 

 mistaken for that species. Transitional forms to the type are met with. Bare, 

 among the typical specimens (Aurivillius). 



This differs specially from ab. alcon in the presence of the discoidal 

 spot on the upperside. 



(£) ab. supra-impunctata, Obth., " Etudes," xx., p. 15, pi. iii., fig. 19 (1896) ; 

 "Leo. Comp.," iv., p. 325 (1910). Arion, var. fi, Stphns., "Illus. Haust.," i., p, 

 87 (1828); Alcon, Mosley, "Illus.," pt. 7, pi. i., fig. 6 (1880). Unicolor, Obth., 

 " Lep. Comp.," iv., p. 325 (1910). — Bemarkable for the diminution of the black 

 dots, which in normal specimens are more developed on the upperside of the fore- 

 wings (Oberthur). 



The figure and description given by Oberthur are not quite in accord- 

 ance with the name, since both show traces of spots on the hindwings. 

 He explains however, here, and again in the Lepidopterologie Comparee, 

 that this was the nearest specimen to supra-impunctata that he possessed. 

 Both this and Mosley's figure of ab. alcon differ from the alcon of 

 .Stephens in possessing a discoidal spot, and from alconides, Auriv., in 



