732 Insects. 



this is now Melampus of all continental authors. Thirdly : after a 

 long and careful examination of thirty-five specimens of the Scotch 

 insect, and a comparison of them with M. Becker's German speci- 

 mens, I feel perfectly convinced that both are referrible to the same 

 species : and in this opinion, Messrs. H. and E. Doubleday, who have 

 given me the most kind assistance throughout the enquiry, also con- 

 cur. It must be admitted that the Scotch and German specimens are 

 not so precisely identical that one would fail in the endeavour to point 

 out some minute discrepancies ; but then it must be borne in mind, 

 that in almost every instance the Satyridae vary so greatly within the 

 limits of acknowledged species, that without an intermediate series it 

 would often be extremely difficult to connect those which are most 

 dissimilar. Fourthly : from E. Pharte it differs in the presence of 

 the black spots. 



I now proceed to describe the Scotch specimens of 



Erebia Melampus, Boisduval. 



Male. — The palpi, head, thorax and abdomen are clothed with in- 

 tensely black hairs, excepting the sides of the abdomen, which incline 

 to grey : the shafts of the antennae are greyish brown above and near- 

 ly white beneath ; the club is intensely black at the tip, its inner or 

 anterior surface is brown above and whitish below, and its outer or 

 posterior surface is dusky brown above and pearly white below. On 

 the upper surface, all the wings are of a rich velvety and somewhat 

 glossy black brown : the fore wings have an irregular transverse fas- 

 cia, or rather a band-like series of ferruginous markings running pa- 

 rallel to the outer margin of the wing, but situate considerably within 

 the margin ; these markings are five or six in number, of which the 

 second, third and fifth always include a central black spot, the fourth 

 rarely has the spot of equal size with the rest, it is generally reduced 

 to a mere point, and is often entirely wanting : the hind wings have 

 three roundish ferruginous markings, equidistant from the outer mar- 

 gin, and each of these has usually a black central point : there is 

 sometimes the trace of a fourth marking, but this is without the cen- 

 tral point. On the under surface the fore wings have a brownish cos- 

 tal and exterior margin ; the disk or central area of the wing is red 

 brown, and between this and the broad brown outer margin is abroad 

 ferruginous band, corresponding with that on the upper surface, but 

 having its limits, as well as the black spots, less distinctly defined : the 

 hind wings are dark brown, thickly interspersed with minute ferrugi- 

 nous points, generally consisting of single scales, and giving the wing 



