i8 93 .] THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



to be the Argus of Linnaeus, but as I have shown before, the figures 

 he refers to are those of Icarus. Wallengren also (Rhop. Scand.) 

 refers this species to Argus, as the other critical species is a great 

 rarity in Sweden. Linnaeus says in Faun. Suec. that Argus is 

 "caudatis," evidently an error, which is corrected in a later work. 

 What appears to be most probable is that Linnaeus included both 

 Icarus and AZgon under the name Argus. On the other hand his 

 successors may have made the same mistake as they did in reference 

 to Hyale. With regard to this species, South has acted wisely in not 

 following Staudinger. 



Now let us turn to the genus Erebia, of Dalman. 



In 1775, a butterfly was called Papilio medea in the Vienna 

 Catalogue. 



In 1776, Hubner figured it under the same name. 



In 1777, Esper called it Papilio cethiops. 



In 1787, Fabricius called it Papilio Blandina. 



In 1832, Dalman called it Hipparchia neoridas, and the three earlier 

 names were disused by this most talented and learned author. 



Staudinger rejects the name of Medea for the reason, as he states, 

 that the Medea of the Vienna Catalogue and of Fabricius was another 

 butterfly. 



Flere I fail to follow him. Fabricius expressly states that his 

 Blandina is identical with Medea, W.V., and Staudinger gives ALtMops 

 as being identical with Blandina, Fab. 



Staudinger uses the generic name of Satyrus for Semele. The 

 synonymy however is : — 



Hipparchia, Fab., 1807. 

 Satyrus, Boisd., 1840. 



Megcera, L., is the species for which the generic name Satyrus ought 

 to be used. — Le satyre is the French name. 



Linnaeus in the " Systema Naturae " described a butterfly thus : — 

 " Maturna 204, P.N. alis dentalis purpurascentibus nigro maculatis ; 

 subtus fasciis tribus flavis. Fn. Suec. 1062., Pet. gaz. t. 1. f. 8., Ray 

 ins. 120. n. 8., Merian Eur. t. 88 ? Wilk. .pap. 58. t. 2. 2. 9., Habitat 

 in Corylo, Erica, Scabiosa." 



The references to Wilkes are excellent figures of the upper and 

 undersides of Melitcca athalia, Esper. Petiver's figure is also that of 

 Athalia. Here is Ray's description, i. 120. n. 8., " Papilio medea, alis 

 superiris rufis, lmeis tenuibus nigrescantibus deorsum secundum 

 nervos ductis aliisque transversis latioribus variis. Papilio fritillarius 

 tessellatus serotinus. The May Fritillary Pet. Mus. 323." 



According to the strict law of priority the synonymy of this species 

 should be : — 



