ARGYNNIS. By Dr. Tu. Leumayy, 421 
lombia. Both combine more or less the characteristics of ewrynome and montivaga, which explains that Ep- 
WARDS described in 1883 A. erinna as a variety of eurynome, but in the year following classed it in his 
Catalogue with montivaga. 
A. montivaga Behr (S7e) was, together with egleis, regarded by STRECKER as a variety of A. zerene 
Bsd., whereas other authors, probably with better reason, treat it as a possible subspecies of A. ewrynome, 
which it closely approaches in either sex, differing chiefly in the somewhat darker red of the upper surface, 
the rather heavier markings, and the absence on the underside, especially of the hindwings, of the olive- 
green tinge which is characteristic of typical eurynome, this being replaced by a mottling of reddish-brown. 
All the spots more or less perfectly silvered. Expanse: f 1,8”, 91,9’. Found in the Sierra Nevada of California 
and among the higher mountains of Nevada (Morrison). 
A. egleis Bsd. (Q = mormonia Bsd., nenoquis Reak.) (86e). Forewings relatively somewhat longer 
than in eurynome. ¢ above deep fulvous, a little obscured at base, with moderately heavy black markings 
on both wings and the mesial band on the hindwings continuous. Under surface of forewings pale fulvous, 
with the apex yellowish buff; base and inner margin as far as the median vein, as well as the median 
nervules tinged with reddish, the base not seldom quite red. Submarginal and apical spots may or may 
not be silvered. Hindwings brown as far as the outer third, sometimes mottled with purple; submarginal 
band brownish-yellow. The spots on the under surface either partly silvered, or pale buff without any 
silver. 2 very much like g, but the ground-colour paler, occasionally much obscured over the basal areas. 
Under surface of the forewings deeper red, the purplish-brown shading of the inner half of the hindwings darker. 
The silver spots are, as in the ¢, greatly subject to variation; occasionally they are clear yellowish buff, 
without any trace of silver. Expanse: ¢ 2,2’’, 2 2,5’. — Epwarbs succeeded in breeding it from eggs which 
he had received from Nevada. The egg is yellowish, following the general type. Very soon after leaving the egg, 
the caterpillars seek their winterquarters, going in lethargy. Full grown they measure about 1,2’’; their colour 
is grey, mottled with brown, marked dorsally with a black stripe edged on either side with a dirty white line; 
the spines and bristles comparatively short, those on the back dull whitish, the rest yellowish, all with black 
tips. Feet pale brown, head black in front, yellow behind, covered with black hairs. Pupa very much as in 
other species; the wing-cases dark and glossy. egleis was first described by Dr. Brur without a name, being 
designed as “No. 5” in his paper on Californian Argynnids (1862); he contrasted it then with his “No. 4” 
which he later named montivaga. egleis is much more common than the latter. It was not until 1869, that Dr. 
BorspDtvaL described it as egleis, including therein the ab. irene Bsd. Regarding egleis, its author says that 
after comparing more than 100 specimens, he finds that the species varies to such an extent that even after 
eliminating all the specimens that passed as irene, there still remained a greater number running into one 
another and representing every possible transition. Specimens from Bradley (California) are mostly 
very dark, rather brown than fulvous, the 29 generally well silvered. — A. mormonia Bsd. was founded on a 
2 form which, according to Epwarps, was nothing else but eglets 9. He writes: “The original descriptions, 
which are in Latin, of egleis and mormonia afford no means of separating them; they only state that in 
egleis the spots on the under surface of the hindwings may or may not be silvered, whereas in mormonia 
they always are silvered. A comparison of the g type of egleis and the type of mormonia Bsd. (2) shows 
no other difference than can be explained by the difference in sex” (EpwaRps). 
2. Subgenus: Brenthis Hbn. 
A. myrina Cr. (= myrissa Godt.) (86). Upper surface fulvous, broadly bordered with black, the black 
markings, especially on the hindwings, rather light. Under surface of forewings yellowish fulvous, somewhat 
lighter at the inner margin, with the apex and upper part of the outer margin deep ferruginous. Marginal 
spots slightly silvered. Hindwings rusty-brown, mottled with buff, and with small, but very distinct and very 
bright silvery spots. The wide space between the median band and marginal lunules is buff at the middle, 
under the apex and above the anal angle shaded with dark fuscous. 9 somewhat paler, otherwise like g. Ex- 
panse: g 1,4”, 21,8”. Ege conoidal, about 1 higher than wide, with 16—17 vertical ribs, between which a 
number of delicate cross-lines. Its colour is pale yellowish-green. The mature caterpillar is cylindrical, blunt 
at the upper end, about 7%’’ in length, dark olive-brown, marked with green, and with fleshy spines armed 
with very sharp points projecting at an angle of 45°, the anterior ones about four times as long as the rest. 
Pupa yellowish-brown, with darker brown spots, those of the thoracic and the two anterior abdominal seg- 
ments with pearly lustre. myrina has in North America south of the Arctic circle a very wide range, without 
forming any variations worth speaking of. In this it differs from the European selene which in some respects 
it resembles. It occurs in the United States from the New England States to Montana, and throughout 
montivaga. 
egleis. 
irene. 
mormonia. 
myrina. 
