HESPERIA MALVAE, 229 



developed, as on the upperside ; the hindwings normal. Although 

 none too good, Bergstrasser's figure (1780) is distinctly that of this 

 aberration. Esper's, on the contrary, figured (1780) as " malvae var." 

 in the same year, is much better, and his description under the name 

 of althaeae, the following year (1781) is also satisfactory. Lewin's 

 figure (1795) under the name of fritillum, is also good, as are also those 

 of Hubner, published much later (circ. 1823) as alveolus. Haworth 

 described it under the name of lavaterae, and all three names have 

 been frequently used for the aberration by later authors. It is 

 occasionally found with the type in all the European countries where 

 the latter occurs — Scandinavia, Germany, France, Italy, etc. It occurs 

 now and again in most parts of Britain with the type (see localities 

 supra). Schilde's figures of this form are exceedingly good (see Berl. 

 Ent. Zeits., 1886, pi. ii., figs. 7-9), and students interested in the 

 subject should refer to this writer's notes thereon. Miss Fountaine 

 observes that, in a dry sloping meadow near Broussa, in Asia Minor, 

 at the end of April and beginning of May, 1901, a fair percentage 

 of the H. malvae captured, distinctly belonged to the taras form. 

 Lofiler observes (Ent. Zeits. Gube?i, xviii., pp. 77-78) that, " in the 

 great woods of Heidenheim, Wiirttemburg, in May, 1904, one often 

 observed H. malvae flying about in numbers in the ridings, or resting 

 on the blossoms of Taraxacum officinale. They w T ere also frequently 

 to be observed sitting on the droppings of cows and horses, sucking the 

 fluids thereof, generally in the early morning between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. 

 A great deal of variation, transitional between malvae and taras, was 

 observed, as well as many well-marked taras. At this time, the butter- 

 flies seemed freshly emerged, and w r ere uncertain on the wing, emergence 

 apparently going on through the morning, till after 10 a.m. During 

 the second week of May only S s of malvae and ab. taras were taken, 

 but during the third and fourth weeks the females of both forms 

 emerged. As far as I know, the latter have not before been recorded, 

 and the catalogues only mention this aberration as a J form." 



e. var. (et ab.) melotis, Dup., "Hist. Nat.," supp. i., p. 257, pi. xlii., figs. 

 1-2 (1832) ; Ramb., " Cat. Lep. And.," p. 76 (1858) ; Kirby, " Svn. Cat.," p. 

 614 (1871); Stand., "Cat.," 2nd ed., p. 34 (1871); Zell., "Stett. Ent. Ztg.," 

 p. 462 (1879); Lang, " Butts. Enr.," p. 345 (1884); Ruhl, " Pal. Gross-Scnmett.," 

 i., p. 679 (1895); Tutt, "Brit. Butts.," p. 124 (1896); Elw. and Edw., 

 "Tr. Zool. Soc. Lond.," xiv., p. 161, pi. xxiii., fig. 29 (genit.) (1898); 

 Staud., "Cat.," 3rd ed., p. 97 (1901).— Expanse 12*5 lines. The upperside 

 of all the wings of a shiny black, finely powdered with twelve or thirteen white 

 spots on the forewings, placed as in the other Hesperiids of the same group, but 

 larger and rounder ; the hindwings are traversed medially with a white band, 

 divided into six spots by the nervures, and between this band and the outer border, 

 a series of five white points (spots) ; beyond these some white shadings at the base; 

 the fringes white, regularly latticed with black ; beneath, all the wings are grey- 

 brown with a slight greenish tint ; the forewings have the base and apex whitish, 

 with a distinct repetition of a part of the upperside ; the hindwings are streaked 

 longitudinally with white rays, between which one sees traces of the upperside 

 band. It occurs in May in the Tyrol and in Switzerland (Duponchel). 



This form is rather larger than typical H. malvae ; the upperside 

 with the white and black markings rather more contrasted. Staudinger 

 diagnoses it none too minutely as " plerumque major, al. post, 

 albicantibus, signaturis confluentibus," whilst Kuhl speaks of the 

 ground colour as "greenish-grey in the $ s, more olive-brown in ? s," 

 of which there is no hint in Duponchel's description (supra). He further 



