zephyrus. 
chrysoptera. 
faunus. 
rusticus. 
gracilis. 
progne. 
oreas. 
silenus. 
haroldi. 
g-argenteum. 
456 POLYGONIA. By Dr. A. Serrz. 
P. zephyrus Hdw. (93 b). This butterfly about corresponds to the eastern c-aurewm. The distal part 
of the upper surface is very light red yellow, scarcely dark-shaded, the c on the underside of the hindwing 
finely marked but large and wide open. — Larva very similar to that of our c-album, anteriorly red-brown, 
posteriorly with white saddle; has been found on Azalea occidentalis. The butterfly is common in places, 
flies all the year round and is distributed from the Rocky Mountains westwards to the Pacific Ocean. 
P. chrysoptera Wr. (93.c). In this form, which nearly approaches the preceding, the hindwing is of a 
fiery yellow-red, with all the brown shading of the distal part wanting, being replaced by dull orange-red 
splashes and clouds. The g has a deep black-brown distal border to the forewing and very dark spots; under 
surface wood-coloured, the ¢ thin but very widely opened. California. 
P. faunus Hdw. (93, d). Judging from both butterfly and larva this is the American Polygonia 
form which corresponds to the European c-album. Upper surface much darker yellow-brown than in the pre- 
ceding, more strongly and darkly spotted and both wings broadly margined with black-brown. Beneath the 
silvery c of the hindwing, exactly as in the European species, is short-curved, compact, strong; the under surface 
itself very variable individually. The autumn brood with the wings more strongly dentate. — rusticus Hdw., 
which seems to be near the Californian form silvius Edw. (unknown to me), is more intensively coloured, as 
the somewhat lighter red-yellow ground-colour contrasts with the dark spots and margins, especially on the 
hindwing; west coast of the United States. — Larva of fawnus almost exactly like our c-albwm, but strangely 
enough is said to live on willows. Epwarps, who did not at the time know the larva, argued in a long article 
against the supposition of a close relationship between P. fawnus and c-album. 
P. gracilis Grt. (= c-argenteum Scudd.) (93d). This form, which belongs in the same group with 
progne and the small hylas, forms the continuation of the East Asiatic agricula, which is not (as vol. I 
states) only a local form of c-album, but in places occurs together with this, just as in parts of Europe 
egea flies together with c-album. gracilis may be easily known by the very dark black-brown margins, before 
which (on the forewing) or in which (on the hindwing) are placed small ight yellow spots. The under surface re- 
sembles that of agricula or hamigera (cf. vol. I, pl. 64a), whilst the upper, which is very similar to faunus, 
more recalls c-album (cf. vol. I, pl. 63 e). The larva is not known, the butterfly is essentially Canadian and only 
penetrates into the north of the United States. Westwards it extends to Alaska and specimens which have been 
taken beyond Behrings Straits in Kamschatka scarcely deserve a separate name. On the other hand in Alaska 
occurs together with this species also the smaller progne, which may possibly represent merely an offshoot of 
gracilis. 
P. progne Cr. (= grogne F’.) (93d). This very variable species is distributed over an enormous area 
and extends almost through the entire continent of North America from the Atlantic coast to Alaska. 
Southwards it extends in the eastern states as far as Pennsylvania. Above the wings have small but sharp 
spots and dark margins; before the distal margin a chain of small light yellow spots. The under surface marked 
as in gracilis, but the distal part more sharply separated from the basal, lighter, more strongly contrasted. 
Larva more uniform yellow-brown, mostly without distinct white saddle, with variegated spines, on currants 
and gooseberries, also on elms. Pupa grey-brown, with a shorter, more obtuse dorsal protuberance, as in 
faunus. In the southern part of its range the butterfly is to be met with almost the whole year round, hiberna- 
ting, the generations not differing sharply, but occasionally occurring in a slightly different form (l-argentewm) 
and an aberration corresponding to the European f-album, sometimes with more brown (south-east) or grey 
(north-west) under surface. Common in places, although not every year. 
P. oreas Hdw. (93 d). Similar to the preceding species, but mostly larger, the yellow spots before the dark 
distal margin, especially on the hindwing, larger, lunate, the under surface of both wings usually more unicolorous, 
dark brown, though varying strongly and in the smaller form oreas Edw. sometimes almost unicolorous black- 
brown with small, dull c. The black spots on the upper surface are usually much more extended, commonly 
the ground-colour itself deeper and duller red-brown. The larger, proximally bright tawny form is silenus Hdw. 
(9 e, d, e), which is easy to recognize by the light yellow submarvinal lunate spots of the upper surface standing 
out strongly from the ground-colour. In both forms the wings, particularly the hindwing, are very deeply 
dentate. Only in the west of the North American continent, from Washington and Oregon to Alaska. Locally 
common. 
P. haroldi Dew. (93 e). This is one of the southern species of the genus, from Mexico. May be known 
by having the dark basal part of the wings distinctly defined against a lighter distal part, which again is 
distally dark-margined. The hindwing above very little spotted. Hitherto very rare in collections; our figures 
are drawn from the type in the Berlin Museum; I have seen one specimen in coll. ScHavs. 
P. g-argenteum Dbl. & Hew. (93e). A large species, and only in size resembling interrogationis, with 
which GopMAN and Satvrn not very happily compare it. It is probably more nearly allied to fauwnus and 
zephyrus, and is thus not very far from the European forms. It is, however, much larger, the upper surface, 
especially in the distal part, more yellow-red than brown-yellow, the light yellow spots before the marginal 
band very large and light, before the distal margin dark lunules. Mexico, not common: Oaxaca, Popocatepetl, 
Guerrero, in the highlands. 
