112 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[June 



variation of tliis species " ("Ent. Mo. Mag.," XVIII., p. i8o). 



Imago — Anterior wings rather pointed at the apex, divided into 

 two lobes, of a dark grey colour with a slight violet tinge in fresh 

 specimens; a black dot near the centre of the wing, another at the 

 extremity of the fissure. The most important character is the white 

 costal edging, especially distinct towards the apex. Hind wings 

 di\ided into three plumules, dark grey-brown in colour. Stairiton's 

 diagnosis is: — "P. lociuii, g'". Closely allied to the preceding 

 {hifmnctidactyla), but f.-w. greyer, and the costal cilia white from 

 the middle of the wing to the tip " ("Manual," II., p. 442). 

 Duponchel's typical description is: — "The forewings are of an obscure 

 blackish-brown w^th an oblong blackish spot at the termination of the 

 cleft which divides the forewings into two parts. This cleft is fairly 

 large and extends almost a third of the length of the wing. Of the 

 three plumules of which the hind wings are composed, the two upper 

 ones are spatuliform, the third linear. The fringes of the forewings 

 are whitish, those of the hind wings brownish. This species, which 

 does not appear in Hiibner or Treitschke, was given to us by M. 

 Meret, the specimens having been captured in the Eastern Pyrenees" 

 ("Histoire Naturelle," etc., Vol. XL, p. 618). The figure is really 

 much more satisfactory than the description and shows up the 

 characters of the species well (/. c, PI. 114, fig. 4). 



Variation — This species varies very little in the imago state but 

 Mr. Gregson described and wrote the following notes on a variety 

 which he named Jiodgkinsoiii \ — "Alar expanse 7 to 8 lines. Head, face, 

 thorax, body and legs light creamy ashy-grey, lightest towards the 

 cleft; very slightly irrorated with darker atoms; the discoidal and 

 cleft spots scarcely perceptible. Under-vs^ings rather darker than 

 upper-wings. Pt. h'jdgkinso:ii differs fromj Pt. loeivii to which it is 

 nearly allied, m the general colour being lighter, in the less irrorated or 

 suffused appearance, its lesser size, and in its want of the light canary- 

 coloured terminal costal edging to the tip, and also in its time of 

 appearance : from Pt. p'a^iod:i:ty!us in its smaller size, much lighter 

 colour, the entire waat of the bright buif and light ashy-white upon 

 tiie thorax and body, the absence of the dark blotches so conspicuous 

 upon good specimens of that species, the absence of any light edging 

 to the cleft and in being devoid of any light colour upon the terminal 

 joints of the legs. From Pt. hipunctidactyliLs in its smaller size, more 

 yeliowish-ashy colour and lighter coloured legs, and from the spurs 

 being of the same colour as the legs, whereas in biptmctidactylus the 

 spurs are lighter than the legs. While in company with my friend J. 

 B. Hodgkinson, this species was first discovered in a small pasture-field 

 at Witherslack, on the road from the inn to the Moss, early in June, 

 about the year i860. Subsequently Mr. Hodgkinson met with three 



