THYMELICUS ACTEON. 119 



markings on the hindwings, not present at all in others. Von 

 Eottemburg mentions none in his description, so that this form is the 

 type, whilst that with marks on the hindwings, might be called ab. 

 distincta, n.ab. ; very rarely they are absent on both fore- and hind- 

 wings. The variation in this direction, therefore, may be noted as : 



1. With distinct pale marks on fore- and hindwings =ab. distincta, n.ab. 



2. ,, ,, ,, ,, on forewings only = acteon, Eott. 



3. ,, ,, ,, ,, absent on fore- and hindwings = ab. obsoleta, n.ab. 



There are two very marked forms in ground-colour, apart from the 

 more marked presence or absence of the paler markings, viz., (1) the 

 more typical form with distinctly more fuscous in the ground-colour, 

 and (2) a more golden-brown form, the paler marks blending more 

 markedly with the ground-colour = ab. clara, n. ab. We have seen 

 such forms from Gresy-sur-Aix, Chavoire, and Bourg St. Maurice. 

 Very rarely the angulated row of pale spots on the forewing unites with 

 the discocellular spot, making a blotch that occupies the greater part 

 of the costal area of forewing from the angulated row of spots almost to 

 the base — ab. externa, n. ab. Specimens ( $ and 2 ) are in our collection 

 from Chavoire. Oberthiir remarks that marked aberrations are very 

 rare, only individuals that are lighter or darker than usual occur in 

 his collection. Riihl notes that the Tunisian examples are somewhat 

 smaller and the uppersides darker than usual, whilst he adds that the 

 Algerian specimens are paler, more yellowish than brown. 



Egglaying. — The eggs are deposited low down on the dried leaves 

 of the foodplant and hatch in about fourteen days (Riihl). This may 

 be accurate ; until now we have quite failed to discover eggs laid 

 naturally, nor have we been able to detect a £ depositing her eggs, 

 but a single egg laid in a chip-box, July 21st, 1905, developed its larva 

 in about a fortnight, but the latter has not yet hatched (October 1st, 

 1905), and one suspects that the young larva may live all the winter 

 inside the eggshell. 



Ovum. — Of a pale pearly-white tint, tinged slightly with yellow, of 

 flat type in outline, i.e., with three unequal axes, but with micropylar 

 axis at right angles to plane of deposition. It is distinctly oval in 

 outline seen from above, and more dome-shaped than the eggs of 

 Adopaea (lineola and jiavd) viewed from the side ; the edges more 

 rounded, the top with a slight median micropylar depression ; the 

 surface shiny, pitted, and with distinct surface reticulation, the pits 

 apparently inclined to fall into longitudinal rows from apex to margin 

 (Tutt, July 22nd, 1905). The egg has much the appearance of a 

 Geometrid egg, perhaps in shape and outline more like that of Tro- 

 ckilium (bembeciforme), i.e., it has an oval outline as seen from above, 

 and is not so tall and wide. At first sight it appears to be un- 

 questionably a " fiat " egg. This, however, is not so. The length of 

 the egg is l-05mm., the width 0*70mm., and the height 0'58mm., the 

 bottom is rather flat and the upper surface is rounded, so that half 

 way from the centre to the margin (in any direction) the height is 

 only 0*55nim. The young larva appears to be developed within it, and 

 the colour is dark at one end (larval head), the rest greyish, the egg is 

 not very transparent, but sufficiently so to allow one to arrive at this 

 conclusion as to the larval development with some confidence, 

 though it may be that the egg is addled and the material irregularly 

 aggregated. The sculpture of the egg is a set of irregular polygons, 



