110 ME. R. m'LACHLAN ON THE INSECTA COLLECTED 



perhaps resolve tliemselves into arctica of Zetterstedt and Bois- 

 diivallii of Duponcliel, now both grouped with Chariclea. There 

 is, however, one extreme individual that I propose to briefly 

 notice by name. 



Aegtnnis Chaeiclea, var. obscueata. 



"Wings above smoky greyish-fulvous, the basal portion very 

 densely clotlied with long brownish-grey hairs, having a bluish 

 or greenish reflection in certain lights : in the anterior pair the 

 basal third is blackish, the black markings all distinct, the post- 

 median zigzag line complete and rather broad, the submarginal 

 series of spots very large, the border broad, the fringes dirty cream- 

 colour interrupted with blackish ; in the posterior wing more 

 than the basal half is blackish, almost confused with the median 

 band, the submarginal series of spots distinct and ordinary, the 

 border surmounted by a series of triangular spots, fringes as in 

 the anterior but less interrupted. Underside — ground-colour of 

 anterior wings brighter ; of the discocellular spots only the angu- 

 late one and that at the end are distinct ; zigzag band distinct, 

 but narrow ; submarginal series of spots very indistinct : in the 

 posterior wings the basal half is dark brown, inclosing the me- 

 dian band of pale spots, which is very broad, all the spots more 

 or less coalescent and dirty cream colour ; the outer edge of the 

 dark basal portion margined with a narrow whitish line, the space 

 between this and the border light greyish brown, with scarcely 

 any indication of the submarginal series of spots ; border broad, 

 dirty cream-colour, surmounted by triangular dark brown spots. 

 Legs and underside of thorax greyish. 



There is one $ of this from 81° 42' N. Another specimen in 

 the British Museum from the voyage of the 'Enterprise,' some- 

 what resembles it, difl'ering principally in the middle spot of the 

 median band of the underside of posterior wings being more 

 produced externally, a point in which great variation is exhibited 

 in all the insects. 



In concluding my remarks on the twenty examples referred to 

 A. Chariclea, I will only say that, so far as I can see, no two en- 

 tomologists would probably agree as to the number of so-called 

 species comprised therein, nor do I hope for any immediate settle- 

 ment of the difficulty. Either there is only one species, or there 

 are several ; and in favour of the latter hypothesis it might be 

 argued that we in England have species as closely allied as A, 



