352 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



In 1882, Butler observed that " an examination of 41 examples 

 obtained at Kandahar, in October, has shown that the form cannot be 

 specifically separated from C. phlaeas. Leech observes (Butts, of China, 

 ii.,p. 399) that sty gianus, Butl.,aswellas timeus, Cram., are both referable 

 to the form oi phlaeas known in Europe as var. eleus, Fab. Besides other 

 details, stygianus is not "tailed," and has a row of blue spots bordering 

 the orange oater-marginal band of the hindwing, the former being a 

 marked character of eleus, the latter not noticed in that form. Swinhoe 

 also notes (Trans. Ent. Soc. Bond., 1885, p. 340) that, " with a long 

 series, containing the typical forms of phlaeas, Linn., timeus, Cram., 

 and stygianus, ButL, it is absolutely impossible to separate them. 

 Quetta, September; Kandahar, October to January." Niceville, how- 

 ever, writes (Butts, of India, p. 316): "In the Indian Museum, Calcutta, 

 are a pair of this species, taken by me at Darcha, in Lahoul, in July, 

 1879. Roberts found it common at Kandahar in April and May, 

 abundant in Jane. In my collection are many specimens of both 

 sexes — from Quetta (September) and Kandahar (October and November), 

 taken by Swinhoe ; from Bushire, in Persia, taken in April ; from 

 Astor, 7700ft., taken in September by Biddulph, and fromPangi, taken 

 by Ellis, in October. All these examples are larger than typical 

 phlaeas, the £ on the upperside of the forewing darker, and the under- 

 side of both wings paler. They are smaller than the local form 

 timeus, the $ on the upperside of the forewing brighter, in the ? 

 bright orange rather than coppery. If the local races of phlaeas are to 

 be discriminated by separate names, stygianus appears to me to deserve 

 to be so separated, as much as timeus or baralacha, though the describer 

 himself has failed to find characters of sufficient specific value to enable 

 him to keep it distinct from phlaeas." 



y. var. baralacha, Moore, " Journ. As. Soc. Beiig.," liii., pt. 2, p. 25 (1884) ; 

 Niceville, "Butts, of India," iii., p. 317 (1890). — Expanse, l'37ins. ? . Differs from 

 specimens of the same sex of phlaeas var. stygianus, Butl., taken in the neighbouring 

 country of Lahoul. Upperside of forewing golden-yellow, with a blackish quadrate 

 spot in the middle of the cell, a larger spot at its end ; three oblique subapical 

 spots, and three lower discal spots, the lowest spot being the longest and curved ; 

 from the three subapical spots, some black speckles proceed to the discocellular 

 spot ; the costal edge is very narrowly bordered with brown, and the exterior 

 margin has a narrow macular brown border of half the width of that of the above- 

 mentioned species. Hindwing golden greyish-brown, with a broad, pale red, outer 

 marginal band, which is very slightly indented with black at the end of the veins 

 on its outer border, and, on the inner border, by a row of indistinct blackish spots 

 surmounted by blue-grey scales, above which is a discal row of five or six smaller 

 black spots, and also a black lunule at the end of the cell. The underside of similar 

 colour to that of the above species ; forewing with the spots as on the upperside, 

 but pale bordered, also a spot at the base of the cell, two small spots on the costa 

 above the discal series, and three linear spots on the exterior margin above the angle, 

 these latter spots being nearer the margin, hindwing with less defined, red-streaked, 

 marginal band, the discal and other spots also comparatively larger. Baralacha 

 Pass, 16060ft,, Ladak, taken July, 1879, by de Niceville (Moore). 



Niceville observes (Butts, of India, iii., p. 817) that "the type (and 

 only known specimen) of this local race is in the Indian Museum, 

 Calcutta, it is of large size, true expanse l-5ins. (i.e., measured from 

 apex of forewing to centre of thorax and doubling the amount) ; 

 coloration a little paler than in the same sex of stygianus, the black 

 spots on the upperside of the forewing larger, and the costal and outer 

 borders narrower." 



