382 



BKITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



spots is powdered with black, which does not extend outside the same. Twelve 

 specimens of this form. 



Weismarm says that all three forms merit the name of var. eleus, 

 although they vary greatly just in the characteristics exhibited 

 by the black powdering of the upperside of the forewings. This he 

 considers a peculiar variability of the summer brood of R. phlaeas at 

 Naples. He observes that a specimen from Greece, and one from 

 Corsica, are even blacker than var. a (supra), as they have no red- 

 golden spots, but only a slight golden lustre, which results from 

 scattered golden scales. He further notes that 71 specimens from 

 Tokio, captured June and July, 1887, and, therefore, all belonging to 

 the summer brood, have a very broad black margin, and large deep 

 black spots, but the black powdering of the red-gold ground colour is 

 also of very varying strength ; only 3 are equal in darkness to the 

 specimens just noted from Greece and Corsica, in many others only 

 the basal part of the lower half of the wings is powdered with black, 

 and 14 specimens are without any powdering, beautifully red-golden, 

 so that here, also, great variability of the eleus character prevails. 



(2) The Neapolitan eggs reared at Freiburg. — From part of the same 

 lot of eggs, some 70 larvae emerged between May 22nd-26th ; the 

 larva3 fastened themselves up from June 6th, but were, before pupation, 

 divided into two lots, as follows : 



a. Larvae and pupse kept at ordinary room temperature, from June 9th-13th, 

 at 20°C and from June 14th-22nd at 18°C. During this time 35 imagines 

 emerged. Of these, 8 were decidedly eleus, the rest exhibited no black powdering 

 of the red-gold, but all had broader margins of a deeper black, and larger spots 

 than the German phlaeas, and even than Sardinian phlaeas of the spring brood. 



j3. These larvae were, at the commencement of pupation, placed in the cellar, 

 or refrigerator. As pupation, at the temperature of the latter, 6°C.-10°C., did not 

 take place, they had to be subjected to a temperature a little over 10°C. ; under 

 these conditions pupation was delayed for some time, and took place between June 

 22nd to July 25th. The pupae were then kept in the refrigerator at from 7°C.-10°C., 

 where several butterflies emerged between August 27th and September 16th. It 

 was evident that the dampness of the refrigerator not infrequently rendered the 

 red quite pale yellow, so some of the pupae still remaining were brought into a room, 

 where 18 more butterflies emerged between September 17th and October 18th. The 

 rest remained in the refrigerator, and later emerged at 10°C.-11°C., most of them 

 crippled, although very few to such an extent that the colour could not have been 

 recognised. In reference to brilliancy of colour, it was all one whether the imagines 

 left the pupae in the refrigerator or in the room. Of the 51 butterflies that emerged, 

 only 2 are somewhat powdered with black, one of which emerged August 27th, the 

 other on September J5th. All the others are bright red-gold, and have very small 

 black spots ; but the majority have a broad and deep black margin, and, especially, 

 the black of the apex of the wing often spreads to the uppermost spot of the 

 band of spots, while, at the same time, it extends as a broader stripe along 

 the costa to the base of the wing. These are characters which are not present in 

 German specimens ; and is such a mixture of characters of the southern and 

 northern forms as is unknown to one in specimens captured at large. The duration 

 of a lower temperature for a very long time does not produce any increase of the 

 effect that can be recognised. To be sure, the two darkest specimens emerged 

 tolerably early, viz., on August 27th and September 15th, but perfectly bright 

 examples emerged on August 31st, September 5th, 6th, 7th, and 10th, and then, 

 again, some rather darker specimens on September 20th. 



(8) German eggs reared in Germany. — Eggs laid by captured ? at 

 Leipzig, in August, 1889. On August 20th, placed in a room with 

 a temperature of 10°C. The first larva, hatched August 27th ; all the 

 eggs then placed in a hothouse where temperature fluctuated between 

 20°C. and 30°C. ; all the larva*, 8.5, appeared between August 27th and 



