396 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



year, M. W. H. Harwood, of Colchester, 

 ventured to throw some doubt on the 

 authenticity of the captures, or, at all events, 

 hesitating perhaps from the high authority of 

 the sponsors, doubt on the species being truly j 

 native, where it was taken. The following | 

 year 1875, specimens were again said to have 

 been taken — one of the var. Eris, was shown j 

 " alive to a collector." In January, 1876, I 

 Mr. Newman, who' had no doubt at first to j 

 the genuineness of the capture, stated, on be- j 

 ing asked why the promised figures had not 

 been published, that "the specimen in my 

 possession on further information was found so 

 questionable that I postponed the drawing 

 and engraving sine die." He also added "I 

 have received records of the capture of 

 twenty-six specimens of Daplidice and a round 

 dozen of Podalirius which I suppress for the 

 same reason." There can be no doubt that 

 the whole tale was a fabrication, or the species j 

 would have been proved to be a genuine native 

 before this. 



Imago. — Fulvous spotted and marked 

 with black. Underside, Forewing, paler than 

 the Upperside, but similarlym arked, generally 

 paler still at the tip which sometimes has one 

 or two silver spots. Hind wing pale-yellow, 

 with two rows of silver blotches, and several 

 more between the inner row and the base of 

 the wing, between the rows is a row of small 

 red spots, often with silver centres. 



Larva. — Brownish, with a white dorsal 

 line, intersected b) T a very narrow black thread, 

 then a row of eight triangular white marks, 

 sides dark brown, with two narrow white lines, 

 head and legs brown, spines white. The 

 above is compiled from several figures and 

 descriptions, but must be taken cum grano salts, 

 for authors differ greatly, Kirby says in 

 ' ' European butterflies, "."a black dorsal stripe 

 bordered with white. In "European butterflies 

 and moths " he says, " a white stripe on the 1 

 back, bordered with blackish." Mr. Owe/: 

 Wilson gives three figures of the larva (copied 

 from other authors) that in no respect agree 

 with each other Or any published description, 



but he refrains from giving a verbal description. 



Food plant — Wild heart's case (I ola 

 tricolor ) or other violets. 



Habitat- — The reputed British capti res 

 have already been given. On the Contii mt 

 it is very abundant, and abounds all o er. 

 It also occurs in North-western Asia. It 

 has been said that it is not found in Swit: sr- 

 land below an altitude of 3300 feet, bin we 

 think this must be an error, or, if corr ct, 

 little can be dednced from it, as the in! set 

 abounds at much lower altitudes elsewhc - e ; 

 but we have Swiss specimens from lo -er 

 altitudes. 



Variation. — A variety named Ens, M ;ig. 

 is almost as plentiful as the type, in s< me 

 places it is even more abundant. It ma\ be 

 known by the silvery spots on the undersid ; of 

 the hind wing being changed to pale yell : w. 

 A variety, which we consider only one of the 

 ordinary aberrations, has been called Pelopia, 

 Bkh. It has the black spots on the forewi ig, 

 or both, enlarged and coalescing, as spoke: of 

 already in others of the genus. Athirdnai ed 

 variety, Gigantea, Stdr. is, as its name impl es, 

 larger than the type. Kirby also na' ;es 

 another variety CUodaxa, but we know notl ng 

 of it. It is not, however, the same as he 

 variety of Adippe known by the same nan 3. 



Allied Species — In Kirby 's Europ in 

 butterflies, Niobe stands between Aglaia < id 

 Adippe, to both of which it is very clo.<- ;ly 

 allied, resembling the former above, and he 

 latter on the undersid'. also. The only 

 difference we can detect between Niobe and 

 Aglaia on the upperside :>eing, that the in- 

 dented black line that ru:is round within he 

 margin, is thinner in Ni< '<e, especially at he 

 points, which often form a black triangu ar 

 mark in Aglaia. It is sr 11 more difficu' to 

 separate with any certa nty from Adit *>e, 

 which also closely resern lies Aglaia on he 

 upper side. Kirby says t le third spot in ne 

 outer row on the forewing 3 wanting inAdif te, 

 but though it is sometimes reduced to a mtre 

 point, we have not a specimen in which it is 

 wanting altogether, and it is very small in 



