236 
NYMPHALID^. 
under surface the silver spots of secondaries are always larger and more 
conspicuous in the females than in the males, and the female only is adorned 
with silver spots on apical area of primaries. 
Mr. Elwes * considers that A. nerijjjje is allied to A. niohe, and thinks that 
it may possibly be an extreme eastern form of that species. 
Common in Japan, Corea, and Western and Central China. At Kiukiang 
it is more abundant than A. adijjjje. 
Argynnis laodice. 
Papi/io laodice, Pallas^ Reise, i. App. p. 470 (1771?) ; Esper, Sclimett. i. pt. 2, pi. 93. 
fig. 1 (1785 ?), pi. 102. fig. 4 (1790?). 
Argynnis laodice, Godai t, Euc. Metli. ix. p. 270 (1819) ; Boisduval, Icones, pi. xxi. 
figs. 4-6 (1832); Lang, Butt. Eur. p. 213, pi. li. fig. 4 (1884); Pryer, Rliop. 
Nihoii. p. 29, pi. viii. fig. 5 (1889). 
Argynnis laodice, y-dv. japonica, Meiietries, Cat. Mus. Petr. p. 102, pi. x. fig. 3 (1857). 
" Expands from 2-25 to 2'o0 inches. Hind margins of fore wings slightly concave, especially in the 
female. Hind margins of hind wings rather more dentate than in the preceding species. All 
the wings fulvous in both sexes, brightest in the male, spotted with black as in the other 
species, but the hind marginal spots are more distinctly separated and less crescentic in form. 
Underside : fore wings fulvous, spotted with black, tinged with yellowish green at the apex 
and along the hind margins. Hind wings with all the silver spots absent, except the central 
row ; the basal portion of the wing as far as this is yellow, marked with one or two fine red 
lines ; the silvery spots are small and indistinct in the male, but more strongly dt'fined in the 
female ; immediately external to these is a dark brownish purple band, shading off iiito lighter 
purplish brown, upon which are two parallel rows of dark s,\wiB ; the hind margin is rather 
broadly light yellow." ( Luikj, I. c.) 
Var. japonica, Menctric's. " En dessus, les ailes supcrieures offrent, chez presque toutes les 
femelles, une tache blanche situee pres du bord anterieur, un pen au dessus, et interieuro- 
ment de la 1"^^ tache noire de la 2'' rangee du bord exteriie ; toutes les laches noires sent 
disposees comme chez les individus des differentes contrces de la llussie, mais plus grosses et 
bien marquees. En dessous, les couleurs sont beaucoup plus vivos chez cette race du Japon ; 
les ailes supcrieures presentent, au cote interne de chaque tache noire de la 2" rangee pres du 
bord externc de ces ailes, une tache blanche bion manjuec qui chez les individus du niidi do 
la llussie so laisso i\ peine soupij'onner ; la moitie basale des ailes inferieures est do teinte jjlus 
verdntre, les taches argentees sont plus grandes et plus brillantes, et la teinte violettc de la 
moiti<' posteiienre de ces ailes est plus foncec; et i)lus brillante." {Mcmtru'n, I. r.) 
'I'liis species exhibits a good deal of variation in si/e and also in colour. 
Kiissiaii s])eciin('iis iire always ])aler lliaii those from places further east. 
* Tunis. iMit. iSoc. l^.'^it, p. 559. 
