AEGYNNIS. 
225 
yellowish hairs ; a black angulatcd bar crosses the centre of the discoidal cell, and is 
preceded by a round black spob in the cell, with one below it under the median nervure, and 
followed, at the end of the cell, by an oval one : beyond is a zigzag series of eight black spots 
traversing the middle area of the wing, the three nearest the costa are united, and the last 
two are confluent ; submargiual series of black spots hardly round, and those of the marginal 
series are triangular. Secondaries have the basal two thirds black, clothed with long 
yellowish hairs ; submarginal and marginal series of spots as on primaries. Fringes pale 
fulvous, dotted with black at the ends of the nervules, and preceded on the secondaries by an 
interrupted black band. Under surface of primaries rather paler than above, with similar 
black spots on the basal and median areas of the wing; the submarginal row of spots 
indistinct between the costa and third median nervule, and the marginal series is obliterated ; 
the apical area is yellowish, traversed by a curved brown streak, and there is a yellowish 
longitudinal da*h in each nervular interspace, that nearest the costa preceded by a silvery 
spot. Secondaries have the basal two thirds reddish brown, limited by a silvery-violet line; 
there are two silvery basal spots and the costa at the base is edged with silvery ; a black dot 
surrounded with yellowish is placed near the centre of the cell, and a broad macular band 
traverses the median area of the wing ; of the spots composing this band three are silvery, 
the first somewhat triangular with the apex pointing inwards, the fourth triangular with the 
apex directed outwards and its basal portion intersected by the lower discocellular, the sixth 
elongate ; there is a submarginal series of eight purple-brown spots, with pale centres, and 
on the outer margin there is a short silvery bar in each interspace. 
Expanse, c? 43-53 millim., $ 50-54 millim. 
As mentioned by M. Obeithiir, this species belongs to the frigga group of 
Argynnis. It can, however, be at once separated from any of its allies by the 
silvery bars on the under surface of secondaries, and the yellowish ones on 
that of primaries. No particular aberration of the under surface has been 
observed among the hundreds of specimens that I have received, but in 
several specimens certain of the spots on upper surface of primaries are more 
or less confluent. The most frequent variation is that in which the lower 
basal and seventh and eighth of central series are united, and together form 
a broad bar. In one or two specimens the bar across the middle of the cell 
is only separated from the sixth spot of central series by the median nervure. 
One specimen, othermse typical, has a large square whitish spot in the first 
median interspace between the central and submarginal series of spots. 
Parallel instances of all these aberrations are known to occur in many species 
of Argynnis. 
Rather widely distributed in Western China, but most common at Ta- 
chien-lu and at How-kow in Thibet. The form of this species from Yunan, 
to which M. Oberthiir has given the name of M. charis, has the silver marginal 
spots on under surface of secondaries broader than in the type, but it does 
not otherwise exhibit any difference of importance. 
