EDWAKDSIA W-ALBUM. 



151 



so-called blue is surely only the light effects due to white scales being 

 on a black ground. Other named forms are : 



S. ab. butleroid, Kroul., " Bull. Mosc," iv., p. 246, pi. viii., fig. d (1890) ; 

 " Soc. Ent.," vii., p. 163 (1893) ; Riihl, " Pal. Gross-Schraett.," i., p. 181 (1893) ; 

 Tutt, " Brit. Butts.," p. 206 (1896) ; Wheeler, " Butts. Switz.," p. 18 (1903).— Ab. 

 minor ; macula fulva in alis posticis supra minima vel subnulla ; subtus linea 

 transversa alba in alis posticis abbreviata, a margine antico in medium alas tantum 

 produeta, literam W non referente. S 10mm.-20mm. ; ? nondum inveni. Volat 

 rarissime sub finem Juni et Julio in provincia Casanensi (Kroulikowsky). 



Kroulikowsky's original types were small $ s, in which the orange 

 spot on the hindwings are either very small or altogether absent ; 

 whilst, on the underside of the hindwings, the white transverse line is 

 abbreviated, reaching only from the front margin to the centre of the 

 wing, so that the usual W is not represented. Kroulikowsky later 

 notes (Soc. Ent., vii., p. 163) that the $ ab. butleroivi, in which the 

 white mark on the underside of the hindwings does not form a letter 

 W, has been found at Malmisch, in the Wiatka govt. Wheeler notes 

 (Butts. Switz., p. 18) a specimen with the white line on the underside 

 of the hindwings so interrupted as not to form a W, taken with 

 typical examples on the Sepey Road, July 22nd, 1901. Staudinger 

 diagnoses it as "subtus al. post, linea alba litteram W non formante." 

 The name has more recently been applied to all those forms with an 

 incomplete W on the underside, irrespective of size, and even if not 

 showing a tendency for the usual small orange spot on the hindwings 

 to be obsolete, e.g., South notes that he has several $ s of the butleroivi 

 form, some without and some with the orange spot above. 



e. var. fentoni, Butl., " Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond.," p. 854 (1881) ; Waterh., " Aid 

 Indentif.," ii., pi. 115, fig. 2 (1890).- — Nearly allied to S. w-album of Europe, but 

 quite as large as S. spini ; under surface like the latter species in tint, but with 

 almost the pattern of S. tc-album ; the discal line of the primaries, however, is 

 more arched and continuous, that of the secondaries is more transverse, and, there- 

 fore, does not run inwards in the direction of the base; the submarginal spots are 

 more dome-shaped, of a bright orange instead of red colour; there is a distinct 

 submarginal white line. Expanse of wings 1 inch 5 lines. Shiribetsu, Hokkaido. 

 August. Coll. M. Fenton (Butler). 



In the British Museum collection there is a series of four $ s and 

 one $ , from Yesso, of the fentoni form, as well as the type (in poor 

 condition). Of these one $ has the androconial cell of the ground 

 colour, and difficult to locate without careful observation, the others 

 have it much more distinct. In size they appear to be a shade smaller 

 than average British examples, and three of the $ s exhibit a suspicion 

 of straightening (or rather hollowing) of the outer margin of hind- 

 wings so well-marked in mera, Janson. The underside is fairly typical, 

 except that the angles of the W mark on the hindwings are not quite 

 so sharp as in European specimens. 



Feldekia eximia. — The original description of this eastern species, 

 which appears to us very distinct from w-album, and was at first treated 

 as a var. of the latter species by Staudinger, and later as a distinct 

 species, is added for comparison with w-album : 



Felderia eximia, Fixsen, " Rom. Mem.," 1887, p. 271 (1887) ; Leech, " Butts. 

 China," ii., p. 359 (1894) ; Riihl, " Pal. Gross-Schmett.," p. 734 (1895) ; Staud. and 

 Reb., " Cat.," 3rd ed., p. 69 (1901). Affinis, Staud., " Rom. Mem.," v., p. 148 

 (1889). — This form stands in the same relation to to-album that latior 

 stands to typical spini. The two <? s before me are a third larger than European 

 specimens. Forewings = 21mm. The ground colour is of a darker brown, edged 



